DEPARTMENT  OF 


EQUITATION  AND 
HORSE  TRAINING 


SAUMUR  NOTES 


MOUNTED  SERVICE  SCHOOL 


FORT  RILEY,  KANSAS 


I 


JOHNA.SEAVERNS 


(5rct^uatilln  JUi^es 


CUASS        OF         1910 


MOUNTED  SERVICE   SCHOOL 

FORT    RILEY,    KANSAS,   JUNE  28    and    29 


NOTES 


EQUITATION  AND  HORSE  TRAINING 


IN   ANSWER  TO  THE 


EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS 


AT  THE 


SCHOOL   OF  APPLICATION   FOR 
CAVALRY 


AT 


SAUMUR,   FRANCE 


TRANSLATED   FROM  THE   FRENCH   BY    CAPTAIN  GEO.   H.  CAMERON, 

ASSISTANT  COMMANDANT,    MOUNTED  SERVICE  SCHOOL, 

FORT  RILEY,  KANSAS. 


MOtJNTBD  8BBVICE  SCHOOL  PRB89. 

November,  1909. 


M!>:.l  i:. 
WAR    DEPARTMENT 

THE   ADJUTANT   GP:NERAL's   OFFICE, 

Washington,  Mittrh  V,  I'.ki'j. 
The  Commandant, 

Mounted  Service  School, 
Fort  Riley,  Kansas. 
Sir: 

Referring  to  so  much  of  General  Orders.  No.  ISC). 
November  23,  1908,  War  Department,  as  requires  that  tin 
course  of  instruction  in  equitation  be  based  upon  tliat  oi 
the  Mounted  Service  School,  I  have  the  honor  to  inform 
you  that  the  Secretary  of  War  directs  that  you  appoint  ;i 
board  of  officers  at  the  Mounted  Service  School  to  prepare 
such  instruction  in  equitation  as  should  be  publislicd  to  tin 
Army. 

Very  respectfully, 

(Sgd)     Henry  P.  McCain. 
Adjutant  General: 


Proceedings  of  a  Board  of  Officers  convened  at  tlic 
Mounted  Service  School,  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  by  the  follow- 
ing order: 

HEADQUARTERS,  FORT  RILEY,  KANSAS. 

March   II,   191  lu. 

Special  Orders,  i 
No.  40.  f 

2.     In  compliance  with  instructions  from  the  Secretary  of  W  ar 
contained  in  letter  from  the  office  of  the  Adjutant  General,  War 
Department,  dated  Washington,  D.  C,  March  3,  1909,  a  hoard  of 
officers  is  convened  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  such   instruc- 
tions in  equitation  as  should  be  published  to  the  Army. 
Detail  for  the  Board: 
Captain  George  H.  Cameron,  4th  Cavalry; 
Captain  Walter  C.  Short,  13th  Cavalry; 
First  Lieutenant  Gon/on  Johnston,,  3rd  Cavahy. 
♦  *  *  ♦  * 

By  Command  of  Brigadier  General  Kerr, 

(Sgd)    Ernest  Hinds. 

Adjiitdlii  (f'r)irr(ll. 


MOUNTED    SERVICE    SCHOOL 

Fort  Riley,  Kan.,  March  12,  1909. 
The  Board  met  at  12  noon  in  compliance  with  the  fore- 
going order. 

Present:     All  the  members. 

1.  Since  the  publication  of  General  Orders,  No.  186,  War 
Department,  series  of  1908,  many  commmiications  have 
been  received  from  mounted  officers  throughout  the  service 
requesting  information  concerning  the  system  of  equitation 
taught  at  the  Mounted  Service  School. 

2.  The  need  of  a  manual  or  pamphlet,  setting  forth  the 
principles  of  the  system,  had  been  recognized  prior  to  the 
date  of  issue  of  said  general  order.  Manuals  are  used  in 
other  courses  of  instruction  at  the  school  and  greatly  facili- 
tate rapid  progress  in  instruction.  Careful  notations  of  the 
results  of  experience  gained  by  instructors  in  handling  suc- 
ceeding classes  improve  these  manuals  from  year  to  year 
until  they  are  in  condition  to  be  used  by  graduates  as 
authoritative  books  of  reference. 

3.  In  the  month  of  January  the  members  of  this  Board, 
after  thoroughly  considering  and  discussing  the  feasibility 
of  preparing  a  satisfactory  manual  of  Equitation  in  the  pres- 
ent stage  of  development  of  the  course  of  instruction  at  the 
Mounted  Service  School  reached  the  following  conclusions: 

a.  Since  the  adoption  of  the  French  system  (October, 
1907)  there  has  not  been  sufficient  opportunity  to  apply  its 
principles  in  the  instruction  of  the  enlisted  men  of  the 
United  States  Army. 

6.  Differences  in  equipment,  in  character  of  mounts,  in 
requirements  of  service  and  in  facilities  for  instruction  will 
require  certain  modifications  in  the  methods  of  the  French 
system.  This  system  has  been  gradually  evolved  and  has 
been  subjected  to  the  test  of  time.  Any  changes  therein 
should  be  made  only  after  extended  experience  and  pains- 
taking study. 

c.  As,  however,  there  is  urgent  need  of  at  least  an  out- 
Une  of  the  work  to  be  pursued  and  inasmuch  as  General 
Orders  186,  War  Department,  series  1908,  specifically  ap- 
proves and  adopts  the  French  system  of  Equitation  it  is 
considered  that: 


d.  The  manual  used  at  the  Cavalry  School  at  Saumur, 
France,  entitled:  "Notes  d'Equitation,  r^pondant  au  (iues- 
tionnaire  de  TEcole  d' Application  de  Cavalerie,"  should  he 
translated  and  published. 

4.  The  translation  was  accordingly  begun  and  is  now 
about  one-third  completed.  Progress  is  not  rapid  because  the 
English  vocabulary  of  technical  terms  in  equitation  is  very  lim- 
ited and,  furthermore,  many  explanatory  notes  are  required. 

5.  Acting  under  the  orders  convening  this  Board,  the 
members  are  still  of  the  opinion  that  the  issue  to  the  Army 
of  the  translation  above  mentioned  will  be  the  most  satis- 
factory compliance  with  its  instructions  that  can  be  con- 
trived at  this  time.  After  a  season  of  practice  the  Board 
will  be  able  to  accumulate  a  record  of  experience  from  re- 
ports of  graduates  acting  as  instructors  in  regiments.       * 

*  *  In  due  course  of  time  a  manual  can  be  prepared 
that  will  be  adapted  to  the  conditions  and  needs  of  the 
American  mounted  service  and  that  will  have  undergone 
sufficient  test  to  prevent  confusion  and  controversy. 

6.  The  Board  accordingly  recommends  the  publication 
and  issue  of  said  translation  when  completed. 

7.  These  proceedings  are  forwarded  in  this  form  in  order 
that  approval  or  disapproval  of  the  scheme  may  be  com- 
municated before  further  action  is  taken,  and  in  order  that, 
in  case  of  approval,  necessary  authority  for  translation  and 
publication  may  be  obtained.  The  title  page  is  appended 
and  marked  "A." 

There  being  no  further  business  the   Board   at   12:80  p. 
m.  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  call  of  the  President. 

(Sgd)     Geo.  H.  Cameron, 
Captain,  4th  Cavalrt/,   PresUhut. 
(Sgd)     W.  C.  Short, 
Captain,   IHth  Cavalry,  Memhfr. 

(Sgd)     Gordon  Johnston. 
1st  TAetit.,  Srd  Cavalry,   Rpconhr. 
APPROVED: 

(Sgd)     J.  B.  Kerr, 
Brigadier  General,   U.  ^'.  A.,   Commandant. 

APPROVED:    By  Order  of  The  Secretary  ok  War. 

(Sgd)     J.   Y.   Bell,   Chief  of  Staff. 


FRENCH    REPUBLIC.  M.  I.  C. 

5218-2. 
Paris,  March  15,  1909. 
Ministry  of  War, 

General  Staff  of  The  Army, 
2d  Bureau. 
My  Dear  Captain:* 

You  informed  me  of  a  letter  which  was  addressed  to 
you  on  the  15th  February  last  by  the  Office  of  the  Chief  of 
Staff  in  Washington,  in  which  permission  was  requested  to 
translate,  have  printed  and  published  the  work  entitled: 

"Notes  d' equitation  repondant  au  questionnaire  de 
I'Ecole  d'Application  de  Cavalerie,  Carrousels  militaires  et 
reprises  d'officiers"  (latest  edition.) 

I  hasten  to  inform  you  that  the  American  General  Staff 
may  act  with  entire  liberty  in  this  matter. 

Very  respectfully,  my  dear  Captain,  etc., 

Lieut.  Colonel,  Chief  of  2d  Bureau, 

(Sgd)     L.  Chere. 
*  Translation  by  Captain  W.  S.  Guignard,  2d  Field  Artillery,  of 
a  letter  addressed  to  him  as  Military  Attach^  of  the  Legation  of 
the  United  States  at  Paris,  France. 


TRANSLATOR'S    NOTE. 

The  arragement  of  the  original  text  has  been  retained 
except  that  "Training  for  Military  Races,"  Conditioning  a 
Hunter"  and  ''Conditioning  for  Endurance  Races"  have 
been  placed  last  as  containing  information   rarely  required. 

Notes  on  "High  School,"  "Training  of  Sauteurs," 
"Work  between  the  Posts"  and  "Class  Exhibitions,"  as 
well  as  the  descriptions  of  the  French  equipment  and  of  the 
French  and  German  school  method  of  holding  the  reins, 
have  been  omitted  as  not  applicable  to  our  service. 

Only  three  weeks  before  the  manuscript  of  this  book 
was  sent  to  the  press,  a  translation  of  the  same  text  by  1st 
Lieutenant  F.  P.  Lahm,  Signal  Corps,  U.  S.  Army,  was 
received  from  the  Second  (Military  Information)  Division 
of  the  (General  Staff.  Lieutenant  Lahm's  work  has  been 
heely  consulted.  As  might  have  been  expected,  many  dis- 
similarities in  the  two  translations  are  noticeable,  but 
niaterinl  differences  are  due  mainly  to  the  endeavor  on  the 
part  of  this  Board  to  adopt  terms  that  could  be  used  in 
commands  and  that  would  not  conflict  with  the  language  of 
cxistini^  drill   regulations. 


HISTORY. 

Question  I        page  1') 

History  of  Equitation.  Antiquity.  Middle  ages.  Italian 
Schools.  French  Schools  of  the  16th,  ITtli  and  ISth  cen- 
turies. Military  Schools.  Period  from  17S9  to  1815.  Res- 
toration.   Contemporary  Equitation.    Baucher.    d'Aure. 

Name  the  most  noted  riding  masters  in  these  different 
schools. 


HORSE  TRAINING. 

Question  II  page  'I'l 

Definition  and  object  of  Horse  Training. 
Circumstances  affecting  duration  of  training. 
Condition   of  the  horse,   age,    breeding:    experience    an<l 
skill  of  the  horseman. 
Object  to  be  attained. 
Three  periods  of  training. 

Question  III  page  2") 

Preliminary  work.     Exercise  by  leading. 
Care  of  young  horses.     Special  recommendations. 
Work  on  the   longe:  method   of  giving  longe   lessons   to 
young  horses;  its  object. 

(7) 


Question  IV page  27 

Precautions  in  saddling  horses. 

Mounting  lesson.     How  should  it  be  given  and  when? 
Instructions  for  men  holding  the  horses. 
Precautions  with  restless  horses. 


Question  V page  29 

How  should  the  squad  be  arranged  in  the  first  lesson? 
In  what  case  should  a  leader  be  used? 
Necessity  for  the  trot  at  the  beginning  of  a  lesson  and  the 
Wantages  of  this  gait  in  early  training. 
Resistance  of  young  horses.     Means  of  overcoming. 


Question  VI page  31 

Importance  of  the  movement  straight  to  the  front. 

To  accustom  the  horse  to  go  straight  ahead  under  the 
action  of  the  legs.  Importance  of  this  lesson.  How  should 
it  be  given?     Should  it  be  given  often? 

Lightness.     When  should  it  be  exacted? 

•Principle  of  constant  tension  on  the  reins. 


Question  VII  page  8o 

To  lialt.     How  should  a  young  horse  be  halted? 
Should  halts  be  frequent?    Advantages  and  disadvantages. 
Icpending  upon  the  horse's  balance. 
The  change  of  direction.    Aids  to  use. 


Question   VIII  pa^M- 

Outdoor  work. 

When  maj'  it  begin? 

How  should  it  be  combined  with  work  in  the  hall? 

Choice  of  ground. 

Gaits. 

Sweats. 

Purges. 

Condition  of  the  legs. 

Appetite  and  condition  of  the  horse. 

Results  to  be  obtained  from  outdoor  work. 


Question  IX  page  .I'l 

Suppling  the  haunches.  Accustoming  the  horse  to  yield 
to  the  effect  of  one  leg. 

About  on  the  forehand.  With  what  horses  should  it  In- 
used? 

Suppling  of  the  haunches  continued. 

Haunches  in. 

Difference  between  this  movement  and  two  track  work. 

Dismounted  work. 


Question   X  page  44 

Suppling  the  forehand. 

Shoulder  in. 

Difference  between  shoulder  in  and  haunch<^s  out. 

About  on  the  haunches. 

Lateral  effect.     Diagonal  effect. 


10 

Question  XI page  46 

Two  track  work. 

1.  On  the  track.     Haunches  in.     Haunches  out.     Disad- 
vantages of  these  movements  at  the  beginning  of  training. 

2.  On  the  diagonal  of  the  hall.     Advantage  of  this  exer- 
cise. 

3.  On  a  circle. 

Two  track  work  at  a  slow  trot. 


Question  XII _     page  49 

Is  it  advantageous  to  prolong  the  first  part  of  training  ? 
Bending  lessons  on  the  snaffle  bit.     When  and  how  ? 
Easing  the  hand  on  the  snaffle  bit. 


Question  XIII  page  51 

How  should  the   gallop  })e   exacted    in    the  first    part    of 
training? 

The  gallop  taken  by  increasing  the  gait. 
Utility  of  work  on  a  circle. 


Question  XIV  .  page  53 

Backing.     Method  of  execution. 

With  what  horses  especially  should  this;  movement  be 
|)ractised? 

Work  at  will. 

Condition  of  the  horse  at  the  end  of  instruction  with 
snaffle  bit. 


1 1 


Question  XV l)ag('  od 

Instruction  in  the  double  bridle. 

Steps  to  be  followed  in  order  to  make  a  young  horse  ac- 
cept the  curb  bit.     Different  ways  of  holding  the  reins. 

Bending  lessons.  General  principles.  With  the  snaffle 
bit.     With  the  snaffle  and  curb.     With  the  curb  bit. 

Dismounted  bending  lessons. 

Definitions.  In  hand.  Lightness.  The  set.  The  gather. 
The  assemble. 

Question  XVI page  60 

Easing  the  hand  on  the  curb  bit. 

To  what  horses  should  this  exercise  be  given? 

What  is  meant  by  give  and  take?  Action  of  the  fingers 
on  the  reins.  Necessity  of  often  returning  to  the  lesson  of 
going  straight  ahead.  Lesson  wdth  the  spurs.  When  should 
it  be  given? 

Question  XVII page  6^^ 

Work  at  the  trot.     Rising  to  the  trot. 

Necessity  of  frequently  alternating  the  diagonal  pair  from 
which  the  rise  is  made.     Exception  to  this  rule. 

Lengthening  and  shortening  the  gait  at  the  walk  and  tin- 
trot. 

Question  XVIIl  page  Ho 

Work  at  the  slow  trot. 
Small  circles. 
Serpentines. 
Two  track  work. 

Preparing  for  the  assemble.  Halts,  half  lialts.  and  l>a<k- 
ing. 


12 

Question  XIX page  67 

Work  at  the  gallop. 

Course  to  be  followed  in  teaching  a  horse   to   lead  with  a 
given  foot. 


Question  XX page  69 

Where  should  the  training  of  the  troop  horse  stop? 
The  false  gallop. 

Taking  the  gallop  alternately  from  either  foot   at  short  in- 
tervals. 

Change  of  lead.     Precautions. 

Continuation  of  training. 

Work  at  the  slow  trot.     Gallop  exercises. 


Question  XXI .     page 


How  are  young  horses  taught  to  jump? 

Jumping  at  liberty. 

.lumping  on  the  longe. 

High  jumps. 

Broad  jumps. 

Jumping  mounted. 


Question  XXII  page  75 

To  accustom  young  horses  to  the  saber,   to    tiring   and    to 
noises. 
Swimming  exercises. 


Question  XXI II  paj^c  77 

Various  faults  of  saddle  horses.    Means  of  reniedyin{<  them. 

Question  XXIV  page  80 

Conditions  to  be  fulfilled  by  a  good  saddle. 
How  should  a  horse  be  saddled  ? 

Question  XXV  page  SI 


Holding  the  snaffle  reins. 
Holding  the  double  bridle  reins. 
Handling  the  reins. 


Question  XXVI  page  s:; 

What  is  meant  by  the  aids  and  how  are  they  dasHitied  ? 
Function  of  the  hands.     Direct  rein.     Indirect  rein.     Ivciii 
of  opposition. 


Question  XX\' 1 1  pagr  S.'> 

Function  of  the  legs;  th<Mr  (h'fferent  effects. 

Unison  of  the  legs. 

Horse  in  the  legs. 

Horse  behind  the  legs. 

Length  of  stirrups. 

Position  of  tlie  foot  in  tlic  stitrup. 


14 


Question  XXVIII page  88 


Function  of  the  neck  in  equitation. 
Kind  of  neck  to  be  selected. 
Different  positions  of  the  neck. 
Different  positions  of  the  head. 
Influence  of  conformation. 


Question  XXIX        page  ^)!2 

Training  for  a  military  race, 
tst,  Amount  of  work. 
2nd,    Condition  of  the  legs. 
8rd,  Feed  during  training. 


Question  XXX  i^age  90 


Conditioning  a  hunter, 
(conditioning  for  endurance  races. 


ERRATA. 

Cited  paragraphs  of  tht'  U.  S.  Cavalry  Drill  Regulations 
are  those  of  the  1902  edition.     To  conform  to  the  edition  of 
1909,  the  following  substitutions  should  be  made: 
Page  26,  par.  459  should  be  par.  350 
"      47,     "      340         '         "     "     241 

"      81,     "      294        195 

"      84,     "      315        21B 

"      86,     "      346        "         "     "     247 


T V 


ner  in  which  the  Greeks,  Gauls  and  Romans  rode.  Covering 
this  long  period,  only  the  works  of  Xenophon  need  be  cited: 
they  are  especially  worthy  of  mention  because  they  inchuh' 
all  the  fundamental  principles  of  equitation,  and  even  in 
our  day  may  be  consulted  to  advantage.  It  should  also  be 
stated  that  prior  to  the  5th  century,  a  covering  stretched 
over  the  horse's  back  was  the  only  form  of  saddle.  The 
Orientals  made  slaves  bend  their  backs  to  serve  as  mount- 
ing blocks,  and  the  Romans  made  use  of  stones  called 
"stades,"  which  were  set  along  the  roads  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. It  was  not  until  the  end  of  the  5th  century  that  the 
saddle  tree  was  invented  and  later,  stirrups  were  added. 
This  invention  materially  modified  methods  of  equitation 
and  permitted  the  rider  to  remain  longer  in  the  saddle 
without  becoming  fatigued. 

Middle  Ages.  During  the  long  period  that  constitutes  the 
Middle  Ages,  two  customs  contributed  largely  to  progress 
in  equitation.  These  two  fashions  were  chivalry  and  tour- 
naments. All  the  youths  of  the  French  Nobility,  eager  t<> 
rise  to  the  dignity  of  knighthood,  received  an  education  in 
which  the  first  essential  was  to  learn  how   to   ride.     Equit;i- 

(15) 


16  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

tion,  it  is  true,  was  very  limited.  The  lancer's  deep  saddle, 
required  to  resist  an  adversary's  shock,  led  to  a  very  con- 
strained seat.  Methods  of  controlling  the  horse  were  neither 
accurate  nor  progressive;  the  legs  held  straight  and  far  out 
from  the  horse,  could  be  closed  only  by  jerks:  the  over- 
loaded horses  necessarily  lacked  suppleness.  Equitation 
was  simplj^  an  exhibition  of  brute  strength,  but  it  was  well 
adapted  to  the  form  of  combat  and  to  the  breed  of  horses 
then  existing. 

During  this  period  of  the  Middle  Ages,  we  find  no  works 
on  equitation.  The  horsemen  of  that  period  were  certainly 
not  writers  and,  moreover,  equitation  with  them  was  a  busi- 
ness rather  than  an  art. 

Italian  Schools.  The  lack  of  authors  and  of  historical 
documents  brings  us  up  to  the  time  of  Pignatelli,  an  Italian 
nobleman,  who,  in  the  16th  century  founded  at  Naples  the 
first  school  of  equitation  that  ever  existed.  His  example 
was  promptly  followed  in  Italy  and  other  schools  were 
founded,  one  at  Ferrare  by  Caesar  Fiaschi  and  one  at  Naples 
by  Frederick  Grison.  Their  system  consisted  in  exaggerated 
supplings,  exacted  in  a  brutal  manner.  They  obtained  re- 
sults, however,  and  horses  trained  in  these  schools  were 
certainly  well  in  hand,  but  training  was  very  long  and  was 
not  always  successful.  All  the  horses  of  Italy,  especially 
those  of  Naples,  had  a  reputation  for  viciousness  which  was 
probably  due  simply  to  the  exceptional  severity  of  the 
liorsemen. 

French  Schools.  16th  Century.  The  principles  of  the 
Italian  School  were  brought  to  France  at  the  end  of  the  16th 
<'entury  by  La  Broue  and  Fluvinel,  pupils  of  Pignatelli. 
The  nobility  eagerly  took  up  the  theoretical  study  of  an  art 
that  seemed  new  to  them;  competitions  took  the  place  of 
tourneys  and  at  the  death  of  Henry  II,  the  latter  disappeared 
entirely. 

Fluvinel,  who  was  successively  first  equerry  to  Henry 
III  and  director  of  the  royal  stables  under  Henry  IV.  found- 
ed the  first  academies  in  France. 


AND    HORS?:    TRAINING}  17 

Equitation  as  tauglit  in  these  academies  was  still  slow 
and  restricted.  The  seat  in  the  liigli  saddle  was  always 
straight  and  stiff.  Immoderate  use  was  made  of  tlie  spur 
and  switch  and  the  methods  of  training  were  based  priiuti- 
pally  on  the  use  of  the  cavesson  and  of  the  posts. 

17th  Century.  In  the  17th  century,  the  principal  riding 
masters  w^ere:  SOLLEYSEL  (1617-1680)  who  published 
the  "Parfait  Marechal"  and  translated  the  works  of  New- 
castle; DU  PLESSI8;  DE  LAVALLEE;  VENDEUIL,  who 
was  De  la  Gueriniere's  teacher,  and  GASPARD  SAUNIEK 
(1663-1746)  who  wrote:  "Treatise  on  the 'Complete  Knowl- 
edge of  Horses;"  "The  True  Principles  of  Cavalry;"  and 
"The  Art  of  Cavalry."  In  England,  the  Marquis  of  New- 
castle is  worthy  of  mention. 

Equitation  was  still  about  the  same,  but  they  began  to 
work  outside  the  riding  hall.  Solleysel  took  up  condition- 
ing and  published  a  "Method  of  Preparing  Horses  to  Cover 
Extraordinary  Distances."  Gaspard  Saunier  insists  on  the 
necessity  of  working  horses  out  of  doors. .  He  tells  us  that 
the  best  horses  of  the  Versailles  school,  when  put  on  the 
road  in  the  campaign  of  1691,  had  great  difficulty  in  be- 
coming accustomed  to  this  new^  work,  and  that  "they  stum- 
bled and  seemed  to  have  scarcely  enough  strength  to  stand 
up." 

18th  Century.  It  was  not  until  the  18th  century  that  the 
French  School  was  really  and  definitely  founded  and  thr 
honor  of  establishing  it  is  due  to  M.  de  la  Gueriniere.  H<' 
was  the  first  to  conceive  the  idea  of  the  natural  seat.  He 
had  the  pommel  and  cantle  of  the  manege  saddle  cut  down 
and  taught  that  the  rider  should  seek  a  firm  seat  in  the  bal- 
ance and  uprightness  of  his  position.  His  instruction  in 
equitation  was  reasonable  and  natural;  he  greatly  simplified 
methods  of  training  and  the  system  that  he  published  may 
still  be  consulted  wdth  advantage. 

Following  the  riding  masters  of  the  18th  century,  we 
advance  step  by  step.  The  Versailles  school  became  cele- 
brated the  world  over.     It  was  a  real  academy,  which,  after 


18  NOTES  ON   EQUITATION 

laying  down  the  principles  of  french  equitation,   sought  to 
maintain  these  principles  and  prove  their  superiority. 

Among  the  numerous  riding  masters  of  the  18th  cen- 
tury should  be  mentioned  LA  GUERINIERE,  who  published 
"The  School  of  Cavalry  and  the  Elements  of  Cavalry."  He 
died  in  1751;  DE  NESTIER;  DE  SALVERT;  DE  LUBER- 
SAC,  who  trained  his  horses  by  riding  them  18  months  at  a 
walk;  DE  MONTFAUCON  DE  ROGLES,  who,  in  his 
"Treatise  on  Equitation,"  gives  some  useful  information  on 
work  with  the  longe;  DE  NEUILLY;  BOURGELAT, 
founder  of  veterinary  schools;  DU  PATY  DE  CLAM,  who 
published  numerous  works  and  was  a  writer  rather  than  a 
riding  master;  D'AUVERGNE,  head  riding  master  at  the 
military  school  in  Paris;  MOTTIN  DE  LA  BALME,  pupil 
of  d'Auvergne,  who  wrote  "Essays  on  Equitation;"  DE 
BOHAN,  who  published  a  "Critical  Review  of  the  French 
Army."  He  thought  that  equitation  should  proscribe  all 
artificial  gaits;  DE  BOIDEFFRE,  a  pupil  of  d'Auvergne, 
who  wrote  "Principles  of  Equitation  and  of  Cavalry."  DE 
LA  BIGNE  and  D'ABZAC. 

Military  Schools.  It  is  important  to  note  that  progress  in 
equitation  was  due  not  solely  to  instruction  received  at  the 
Versailles  School,  but  also  to  the  reforms  in  cavalry  tactics 
Introduced  by  Frederick  the  Great.  The  necessity  of  having 
squadrons  able  to  maneuver  proved  to  the  king  of  Prussia 
that  equitation  should  be  the  basis  of  the  instruction  of  the 
trooper.  He  built  riding  halls  in  all  cavalry  garrisons  and 
caused  the  principles  of  the  equestrian  art  to  be  taught. 

The  example  of  the  Germans  was  followed  by  the 
French  cavalry.  At  the  end  of  Louis  XV's  reign,  the  Duke 
i)f  Choiseul,  minister  of  war,  had  the  king  sign  a  decree,  in 
1764,  creating  five  cavalry  schools:  at  Douai,  Metz,  Besan- 
von,  La  Fleche  and  Cambrai.  A  central  school  at  Paris 
was  to  receive  the  best  pupils  from  the  elementary  schools, 
after  they  had  passed  through  a  fixed  period  of  instruc- 
tion. Tliis  decree  of  1764  was  never  completely  carried  out. 
lu  1770,  regimental  riding  schools   were  established  in 


AND   HORSK    TKA1\1X(}  1<) 

nearly  all  cavalry  garrisons.  Among  tliose  schooKs  the 
most  celebrated  were  those  at  Saint-Germain,  Versailles  and 
Saumur.  The  one  at  Saunmr  which  had  been  organized  in 
1763  by  the  regiment  of  carbineers  was  transformed  in  1771 
into  a  cavalry  school  to  which  every  colonel  was  directed  to 
8end  four  officers  and  four  non-commissioned  officers  annu- 
ally. 

Period  from  1789  to  1815.  The  Revolution  suppressed 
all  cavalry  schools.  However,  in  1798  the  school  at  Ver- 
sailles was  re-established  and  took  the  name  of  "National 
School  of  Instruction  for  Mounted  Troops."  In  this  new 
school  the  instructors  did  not  attempt  equitation,  }»ut 
simply  endeavored  to  teach  the  horse  to  carry  his  rider  and 
to  travel  at  marching  gaits. 

In  1799,  two  new  schools  were  created,  one  at  Lune- 
ville  and  one  at  Angers,  having  the  same  object  and  the 
same  organization.  The  Versailles  school  was  the  only  one 
left  in  1808,  w^hen  an  imperial  decree  replaced  it  by  the 
school  at  Saint-Germain,  intended  to  complete  the  instruc- 
tion of  cavalry  second  lieutenants  after  the  course  at  Saint- 
Cyr. 

Restoration.  Upon  the  return  to  power  of  the  Burbons, 
the  Versailles  riding  school  was  re-established  and  placed 
under  the  direction  of  M.  d'Abzac,  who  was  assisted  by 
Messrs.  de  Goursac  and  Charrette  de  Boisfoucaud. 

The  most  noted  riding  masters  of  that  school  were  tbe 
Viscount  O'Hegerty,  de  Vendiere,  de  Millange  and  de  Vau- 
giro.     The  Versailles  school  lasted  until  1830. 

In  1814,  the  Restoration  suppressed  the  school  at  Saint- 
(Jermain  and  founded  a  new  one  at  Saumur.  The  latter  was 
abolished  in  1822,  following  General  Berton's  conspiracy 
and  the  decree  of  1823  established  a  school  of  aiiplication 
I'or  cavalry  at  Versailles. 

The  riding  School  of  the  Pages,  under  tlic  direction  of 
O'Hegerty  formed  a  branch  of  the  Versailles  school.  But 
this  new  organization  lasted  only  -a  year   and   on   November 


20  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

11,   1824,   the   cavalry  school  was  definitely  established  at 
Saumur. 

Contemporary  Equitation.  We  now  come  to  contempory 
equitation,  for  a  long  time  divided  into  two  schools;  a  new 
school,  that  of  Baucher,  and  the  d'Aure  school  which  con- 
tinned  the  methods  taught  at  Versailles. 

Baucher.  Little  is  known  of  Baucher 's  antecedents.  At 
the  age  of  15  he  set  out  for  Italy  with  one  of  his  uncles  who 
was  an  instructor  in  riding  schools.  He  returned  to  France 
a  few  years  later  and  located  in  Paris.  First  he  gave  les- 
sons in  a  small  riding  academy  in  the  Rue  Montmartre; 
then  he  went  into  a  circus  in  order  to  popularize  his  meth- 
ods. The  Minister  of  War  had  his  system  tested  in  the 
Army  on  two  different  occasions;  one  trial  was  at  Saumur. 
The  Baucher  system,  however,  was  never  officially  adopted 
in  the  cavalry. 

Baucher's  methods  were  entirely  different  from  those 
taught  at  the  Versailles  school.  Much  more  complicated 
than  the  Count  d'Aure's  method,  it  marked  in  a  way,  a 
return  to  the  suppling  of  the  early  riding  masters.  The  for- 
mula that  Baucher  often  repeated  was  this:  "Destroy  the 
instinctive  forces  and  replace  them  by  transmitted  forces." 
To  carry  out  this  program,  it  was  necessary  to  begin  with  a 
series  of  supplings;  "Flexions  of  the  jaw;  flexions  of  the 
neck,  lateral  flexions  and  mobilizing  the  hind  quarters 
about  the  shoulders;  swinging  the  fore  quarters  about  the 
haunches;  combination  of  the  play  of  both  extremities  or 
backing." 

All  this  preliminary  work  was  done  in  place,  and  result- 
ed in  the  ''Gather^^  (he  ramenerj ;  later  by  the  use  of  so- 
called  ^'attacks''  and  ''collecting  effects,^'  he  arrived  at  the 
'Wssemhle^^  ( Le  rasspnihlerj  These  first  lessons  were  sup- 
plemented by  a  few  movements  at  the  walk,  trot  and  gallop, 
and  were  supposed  to  complete  the  training  of  a  horse  in 
two  months. 

As  for  the  high  school,  this  was  Baucher's  triumph.  He 


AND    HORSK    TKA1XIN<;  21 

was  an  admirable  riding  master  and  eould  make  his  horses 
execute  the  most  complicated  steps.  In  one  of  his  works 
lie  mentions  16  new  riding  school  movements  whicli  he  had 
added  to  the  repertory  of  former  riding  masters. 

Baucher  wrote  several  works  on  equitation.  Tlie  prin- 
cipal ones  are:  a  "Dictionary  of  Equitation,"  and  a  "Mctliod 
of  Equitation  Based  on  New  Principles." 

D'Aure.  The  Count  d'Aure,  a  former  pupil  of  tlie  Saint- 
Cyr  school,  graduated  there  as  a  second  lieutenant  of  infan- 
try. He  subsequently  went  into  the  guard  corps  and  was 
thus  enabled  to  enter  the  riding  school  at  Versailles  under 
the  direction  of  the  Viscount  d'Abzac. 

In  1880  he  resigned,  but,  although  he  gave  up  the  pro- 
fession of  arms,  he  retained  his  fondness  for  equitation,  and 
liis  brilliant  success  in  that  direction  led  to  his  being  ap- 
pointed in  1847  to  the  post  of  head  riding  master  of  the 
school  at  Saumur. 

His  equitation  is  far  from  being  complicated  and 
studied;  it  is  instinctive,  bold  and  brilliant.  The  Count 
d'Aure  was  an  improvisor  who,  at  the  first  glance,  knew  how 
to  secure  good  results  from  the  most  difficult  horses.  Like  all 
true  horsemen,  he  rode  equally  well  in  the  riding  hall  and 
in  the  open;  and  while  he  encouraged  hunting  and  racing, 
he  could  excel  all  others  at  the  head  of  a  riding  school  ex- 
hibition. He  directed  his  efforts  particularly  tt)  the  making 
of  bold  and  energetic  horsemen  and  always  preached  the 
movement  to  the  front:  "Push,  push  up  to  the  bit,"  was 
the  excellent  precept  that  he  continually  repeated  to  his 
pupils. 

Count  d'Aure  wrote  two  works  on  equitation,  one  in 
1830,  and  one  in  1858;  and  during  the  eight  years  from  1S47 
to  1855.  was  head  Pviding  Master  of  the  Cavalry  Hchool. 


II. 

HORSE   TRAINING. 

Definition  and  Object  of  Morse  Training.  By  horse  train- 
ing is  meant  a  series  of  exercises  that  render  the  horse 
obedient,  while  preserving  and  developing  his  inherent 
qualities.  Its  object  is  not,  therefore,  to  simply  master  and 
control  the  instincts  of  the  animal;  it  must  also  subject  him 
to  a  muscular  training,  that,  by  suppling,  will  strengthen  all 
parts  of  the  body.  As  a  result,  his  gaits  will  be  perceptibly 
developed  by  the  very  harmony  of  his  movements  and  by 
the  exact  distribution  of  his  weight  produced  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  aids. 

Circumstances  Affecting  Duration  of  Training.  The  length 
and  value  of  the  service  that  a  horse  can  render,  depend, 
in  great  measure,  upon  the  manner  in  which  he  has  been 
trained.  A  colt  should  be  called  upon  for  only  such  exer- 
cise or  w^ork  as  is  reasonable,  considering  his  age,  strengtli 
and  ability.  To  exact  anything  beyond  his  capabilities  iy 
to  set  up  resistance  and  to  inevitably  bring  on  injuries  and 
early  condemnation. 

The  breeding  of  a  horse  (thoroughbred  or  underbred), 
the  nature  of  his  feed  and  the  amount  of  work  he  has  been 
equal  to  in  the  hands  of  his  breeder,  are  considerations  that 
will  allow  us  to  fix  upon  the  date,  more  or  less  distant, 
when  he  should  be  fit  for  service.  Training,  when  once  be- 
gun, must  be  regulated  by  these  same  considerations.  It  is 
self  evident  that  a  horse  kept  on  grass  until  he  is  four  years 
old  needs  more  nursing  than  the  pure  bred  horse  that  is 
raised  almost  from  birth  on  oats. 

It  is  also  obvious  that  conditions  of  training  will  differ 
widely  according  to  the  skill  of  the  person  in  charge.  An 
expert  horseman  will  finish  the  work  more  satisfactorily  and 
more  quickly,  and  his  composure  and  experience  will  enable 

(22) 


NOTES   ON    ?:QU1TATI()N  28 

him  to  mount  witlunit  trouble  a  younger  liorso,  horuuHe,  in 
his  hands  there  will  be  none  of  those  struggles  tlint  produe*- 
blemished  animals. 

Finally  the  time  required  for  training  will  vary  accord- 
ing to  the  object  to  be  attained.  Many  long  months  are 
often  necessary  to  work  a  young  horse  up  to  high  school  ex- 
ercises, whereas,  occasionally,  a  few  weeks  will  be  sufficient 
to  produce  a  horse  free  at  the  three  gaits  and  galloping  with 
either  lead. 

Three  Periods  of  Training.  The  training  of  a  young  horse 
may  be  divided  into  three  periods:  Preliminary  work;  Work 
in  the  snaffle  bridle;  Work  in  the  double  bridle. 

1.  Preliminary  work.  In  this  first  period  the  horse  is 
gentled.  He  is  taught  to  allow  himself  to  be  saddled  and 
mounted,  to  go  straight  ahead  at  the  walk  and  trot,  to  turn 
to  the  right  and  to  the  left. 

Work  on  the  longe  should  properly  be  taken  up  in  the 
preliminary  period. 

Under  certain  circumstances  and  with  certain  horses, 
outside  work  may  be  begun. 

2.  ^Vorh  in  the  snaffle  bridle.  The  horse  is  first  brought 
to  a  thorough  understanding  of  the  effects  of  the  legs.  He 
is  next  taught  to  obey  the  simple  effects  of  the  snaffle. 

At  the  end  of  this  period  the  horse  should  understand 
work  at  the  three  gaits  on  the  three  lines;*  he  should  know 
how  to  take  the  gallop  with  either  lead,  and  how  to  work 
on  two  tracks**  at  the  walk  and  at  the  trot. 

In  this  second  period,  outside  work  will  have  been  con- 
tinued or  begun. 

S.  Work  in  the  double  bridle  which  may  be  subdivided 
into  two  parts: 

a.     All  work  with  the  snaffle  is  repeated  with   the  double 

bridle.       Instruction    is    completed    as    regards    the    upper 

aids,***     The  horse  is  confirmed  in  his  work   at   the  galloi) 

*  The  straight  line,  the  diagonal  and  the  circle.  (  Trfoislator) 

**  Where  the  fore  and  hind   feet  do   not  follow  the    same 

track,  e.  g.  in  passaging.     (  Trcmslaior) 
***  See  Question  XXVI. 


24  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

and  finally  is  taught  the  change  of  lead.  Here  is  where  or- 
dinary  training  stops;  training  sufficient  for  the  horse  of  the 
trooper. 

l.  Preparatory  period  for  high  school  work  in  which  the 
obedience  of  the  horse  is  further  developed  by  a  system  of 
exercises  that  increase  his  suppleness  and  strength.  He  ac- 
quires cadence  in  gaits  and  becomes  light,  or,  more  precise- 
ly speaking,  balanced. 

High  school  work  might  be  considered  as  a  fourth  per- 
iod and  the  animal  would  then  be  taught  the  different  man- 
ners and  steps  of  which  this  school  is  composed,  such  as  the 
high  trot,  in  place  and  gaining  ground,  and  the  change  of 
lead  with  each  stride. 


ITT. 

Preliminary  Work.  Exercise  by  Leading.  When  young 
horses,  sent  from  remount  depots  or  by  purchasing  hoards, 
arrive  at  the  station,  the  squadron  commander  should  phicc 
them  all  together  in  the  best  stable  of  the  sgua(h-on,  turn 
them  over  to  troopers  l?:no\vn  to  be  fond  of  horses  and  nuike 
sure  that  all  precautionary  and  hygienic  measures  are  taken 
to  gradually  accustom  them  to  changed  conditions  and  to 
handling  by  men. 

Young  horses  should  be  exercised  daily;  at  first  l)y  men 
on  foot  and  later  led  beside  kind  old  horses.  This  exercise, 
which  is  at  a  walk,  is  of  great  advantage  not  only  to 
strengthen  the  animals  but  to  quiet  them  by  making  them 
familiar  with  outside  objects.  The  only  drawback  is  that, 
ordinarily,  the  mistake  is  made  of  invariably  leading  the 
horses  on  the  same  side.  They  eventually  acquire  a  false 
set  of  the  neck  which  could  be  easily  avoided  by  holding 
them  for  a  time  on  the  left  as  well  as  on  the  right. 

Care  of  Young  Horses.  After  each  exercise,  the  legs  are 
rubbed  and  the  tendons  massaged.  Following  a  wash  down 
with  plenty  of  water,  the  application  of  flannel  bandages 
produces  highly  beneficial  results  to  the  fetlocks  and  ten- 
dons; the  bandages  retain  the  heat,  help  circulation,  sup- 
port the  tendons,  prevent  windpuflfs  and  swellings. 

Put  on  in  the  stable,  they  should  encircle  the  fetlock 
and  the  lower  half  of  the  cannon.  They  must  not  be  too 
tight;  the  fastening  tapes  in  particular  should  be  somewhat 
loose.  It  is  useless  to  leave  flannel  bandages  on  the  legs  all 
the  time;  the  important  thing  is  to  put  them  on  after  exer- 
cise; during  the  five  or  six  hours  following  hard  work  they 
are  especially  efficacious. 

.  In  addition  to  the  precautions  generally  adopted,  it  is 
well  to  see  that  the   blanket   strap   or  surcingle  is   fastened 

(25) 


26  '  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

around  the  place  where  the  saddle  girth  belongs  and  not 
pushed  forward  to  the  horse's  elbows;  the  object  being  to 
prevent  the  formation  of  two  worn  places. 

Work  on  the  Longe.  This  work  may  be  of  great  service 
in  horse  training,  provided,  however,  that  the  longe  is  used 
as  a  means  of  training  and  not  as  a  medium  for  fatiguing 
exercise. 

The  following  principles  must  dominate  in  this  work: 

1.  The  horse  is  to  be  controlled  by  the  longe  and  not  by 
the  whip;  the  only  function  of  the  latter  is  to  move  the 
horse  forward. 

2.  The  length  of  the  longe  is  to  be  frequently  changed. 
The  horse  should  alternately  stretch  himself  on  a  large  circle 
and  bend  himself  on  a  small  circle. 

3.  The  gaits  should  be  frequently  changed  and  the  horse 
brought  to  the  walk  from  time  to  time  in  order  to  avoid  the 
stiffness  of  gait  that  would  result  from  prolonged  work. 

The  progressive  method  of  handling  a  horse  on  the 
longe  is  given  in  the  regulations  (U.  S.  Cavalry,  par.  459) 
and  is  described  in  detail  in  several  works;  there  is,  there- 
fore, no  necessity  of  repeating  details  here.  It  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  point  out  the  different  cases  in  which  the  longe  can 
be  used  to  advantage. 

Work  on  the  longe  can  be  used: 

1.  To  exercise  young  horses  without  injury  and  without 
fatigue  to  the  joints. 

2.  To  give  first  lessons  to  horses  difficult  to  manage. 

3.  For  horses  that  hold  back  or  fight. 

4.  For  horses  with  one  shoulder  more  developed  than 
the  other. 

5.  For  those  that  will  not  work  equally  well  on  either 
hand. 

6.  For  horses  that  bend  themselves  with  difficulty. 

7.  After  horses  have  acquired  the  habit  of  this  work, 
lessons  in  jumping  on  the  longe  can  be  given  later  without 
difficulty;  horses  should  not  be  put  at  the  jump  until  they 
are  thoroughly  manageable  with  the  cavesson  and  longe. 


IV. 

Precautions  in  Saddling.  In  order  to  accustom  yoiin^,' 
horses  to  their  equipment,  they  should  he  saddled  during 
the  period  when  they  are  exercised  hy  leading.  The  saddle 
is  put  on  without  stirrups  or  stirrup  straps;  it  must  not  })e 
placed  too  far  hack,  and  on  leaving  the  stahle,  the  girth 
should  be  tightened  only  slightly.  The  girths  are  readjusted 
during  the  exercise. 

With  nervous  horses,  it  will  be  well  to  use  the  longe  to 
quiet  them  by  a  little  work  before  placing  the  saddle  on  the 
back. 

After  the  horses  have  become  accustomed  to  the  saddle 
and  the  girth,  the  stirrups  should  be  replaced  and  allowed 
to  hang  down  on  each  side  during  several  exercises.  In  this 
manner  the  horse  will  be  perfectly  prepared  for  the  lesson  in 
mounting  which  becomes  that  much  more  simple;  early 
resistance  frequently  results  from  both  saddling  and  mount- 
ing a  horse  for  the  first  time  on  the  same  day. 

Mounting  Lesson.  At  first  the  trooper  should  get  into 
the  saddle  as  skillfully  as  possible  without  any  attempt  to 
mount  by  the  numbers,  and  especially  without  being  in  any 
way  exacting. 

The  lesson  should  be  given  after  the  horse  has  been 
worked  for  some  time  or  at  the  end  of  his  work.  An  assist- 
ant stands  facing  each  horse. 

The  trooper  approaches  the  horse's  head,  caresses  him 
on  the  forehead,  on  the  eyes,  the  neck  and  the  haunches. 
He  slaps  the  saddle,  pulls  the  stirrups  out  and  lets  then) 
drop  back;  he  then  grasps  the  reins,  leaving  them  very 
long.  He  mounts  the  horse  without  hurry  but  also  without 
hesitation. 

If,  during  the  lesson,  the  horse  backs  or  moves  away, 
ihe  trooper  returns  to  the  animal's  head,  leads  him  up  a 
step  or  two  with  the  snaffle  reins  and  gently  begins  the  les- 
son anew. 

(27) 


28  NOTE§    ON    EQUITATION 

After  seating  himself  in  the  saddle,  the  trooper  should 
use  his  right  hand  to  assist  in  engaging  the  off  stirrup.  By 
feeling  for  the  stirrup  with  the  toe  there  is  danger  of  fright- 
ening the  horse  by  touching  him  unintentionally  with  the 
leg  or  stirrup. 

Resf/ess  Animals.  The  assistants  should  stand  squarely 
in  front  of  the  horses  and  not  on  the  off  side.  Their  busi- 
ness is  to  simply  caress  the  animal's  head  without  holding 
the  reins. 

With  horses  that  are  hard  to  mount,  the  cavesson 
should  be  used,  the  longe  held  by  an  experienced  and  skil- 
ful man. 

Mounting  lessons  should  be  given  on  the  off  side  as 
well  as  on  the  near  side  and  should  be  repeated  daily  until 
the  horse  stands  absolutely  quiet.  The  (individual)  lesson, 
however,  should  not  be  prolonged  for  the  horse  will  have 
greater  tendency  to  become  restless  the  more  he  is  held  in 
one  place. 


V. 

Arrangement  of  the  Squad  for  the  First  Lesson  (in  mounted 
work).  If  a  riding  hall  is  available  horses  should  l)e  worked 
from  the  beginning  without  regard  to  distances.  The 
troopers  are  more  at  ease  when  they  need  not  concern  them- 
selves about  distances — often  hard  to  keep  with  horses  of 
very  uneven  gaits.  Morever,  it  is  a  bad  plan  to  always 
group  young  horses,  as  they  thus  acquire  the  habit  of  "stick- 
ing in  ranks."  If,  from  the  start,  it  is  necessary  to  work  on 
the  road,  a  couple  of  perfectly  sure  old  horses  must  be 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  young  ones  in  order  to  set  them 
an  example  in  quiet  behavior  and  free  movement. 

Necessity  of  Using  the  Trot  at  the  Begining  of  a  Lesson. 
There  are  several  advantages  in  using  the  trot  to  l)egin  work: 

1.  It  starts  the  horses  going  straight  ahead  and  brings 
them  in  hand;  busy  at  the  trot  they  have  less  idea  of  resist- 
ing. 

2.  It  expends  the  surplus  vigor  (takes  the  edge  off)  of 
young  horses,  and  they  become  more  quiet  and  attentive. 

3.  This  gait  must  be  considered  as  the  best  of  suppling 
exercises.  In  his  book  on  equitation,  La  Gueriniere  has  a 
chapter  entitled  "The  necessity  of  the  trot  and  the  utility  of 
the  walk."  In  this  chapter  he  says:  "By  the  trot,  the 
most  natural  of  the  gaits,  a  horse  is  made  light  on  the 
hand  without  spoiling  his  mouth  and  his  legs  are  stretched 
without  straining  them  because  in  this  action,  which  is  the 
highest  of  all  natural  gaits,  the  weight  of  the  horse  is  borne 
equally  by  two  legs,  one  front  and  one  hind;  as  a  result  the 
two  others  are  easily  raised,  sustained  in  the  air  and  stretch- 
ed to  the  front,  thus  giving  a  first  stage  of  suppling  to  all 
parts  of  the  body.  The  trot,  therefore,  without  controversy, 
is  the  foundation  of  all  lessons  to  make  a  horse  obedient 
and  clever." 

Resistance  of  Young  Horses.     The   instructor  nmst   forbid 

(29) 


30  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION. 

any  punishment  in  the  first  lessons  because  it  often  happens 
that  when  a  horse  frets,  it  is  only  on  account  of  timidity  or 
of  high  spirits  or  of  ignorance. 

To  prevent  struggles,  it  is  well  to  have  available  during 
the  first  lesson,  several  dismounted  men,  ready  to  take  by 
the  head  the  most  unruly  horses  as  well  as  those  whose 
riders  are  in  trouble. 


VI. 

Importance  of  the  Straight  Ahead  Movement.  Above?  cvin  - 
thing  else,  the  horse  must  go  freely  straight  ahead.  'I'lic 
lesson  with  this  object  in  view  must  be  the  first  of  all 
lessons;  from  the  beginning  of  horse  training  the  horse  must 
be  accustomed  to  yield  to  the  action  of  both  legs.  This 
is  essentially  a  sign  of  docility;  the  full  or  the  limited 
obedience  of  the  horse  shown  in  this  first  test,  will  be  an 
indication  of  a  brief  or  a  protracted  period  of  training. 

To  Accustom  the  Horse  to  Go  Straight  Ahead  Under  the 
Action  of  the  Legs.  The  leg  lesson  is  admittedly  the  most  im- 
portant lesson  and  there  is  good  reason  to  return  to  it  during 
the  whole  period  of  training.  For  the  first  occasion  observe 
the  following  rules: 

Never  keep  the  lower  leg  glued  to  the  horse's  flank,  but 
use  repeated  taps  with  the  calves. 

Tap  the  horse  near  the  girth  and  do  not  reach  too  far 
back. 

Begin  by  giving  the  lesson  when  passing  from  the  walk 
to  the  trot,  next  when  lengthening  the  trot  and  finally  wlien 
passing  from  the  halt  to  the  trot. 

Anticipate  and  assist  the  action  of  the  legs  Iw  clucking 
with  the  tongue  or  by  the  use  of  light  taps  with  the  wliip. 

These  rules  are  especially  applicable  to  riding  hall  les- 
sons, for,  in  outside  work  on  a  road,  young  horses  have  a 
natural  tendency  to  go  straight  ahead,  following  the  old 
horses  at  the  head  of  the  squad. 

Lightness— When  to  be  Exacted.  A  horse  is  light  when  he 
obeys  easily  and  promptly  the  indications  of  the  rider.  This 
is  not  a  question  merely  of  flexibility  of  jaw  and  suppleness 
of  neck  but  rather  of  balance  and,  in  our  opinion,  the  degree 
of  lightness  corresponds  to  the  more  or  less  finished  balance. 

Therefore,  in  the  first  lesson  there  should  be  no  anxiety 
about  lightness,  for,  as  we  have  just  remarked,  it  will    be   :i 

(31) 


32  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION. 

natural  result  of  training.  If  a  horse  is  not  easily  controlled 
by  the  legs,  is  not  well  suppled  in  the  shoulders  and  does 
not  know  how  to  properly  employ  his  haunches  he  can  not 
be  really  light. 

Not  until  later  can  perfect  balance  (or  lightness  if  you 
please)  be  obtained  and  then  only  by  co-ordinating  the  dif- 
ferent results  of  training. 

The  Principle  of  Constant  Tension  on  the  Reins.  Although 
the  instructor  during  the  first  weeks  of  training  need  not 
concern  himself  with  the  lightness  of  the  horse,  he  must 
urge  the  troopers  to  keep  a  constant  light  tension  (feel)  on 
the  reins.  At  first  the  trooper  must  do  the  work,  that  is, 
must  tighten  the  reins,  but  later,  the  horse  itself,  having  be- 
come accustomed  to  the  pressure  of  the  bit  and  having 
always  present  the  idea  of  going  straight  ahead,  will,  of  its 
own  accord,  keep  the  reins  taut. 

It  is  important  to  distinguish  between  pulling  on  the 
reins  and  the  principle  of  keeping  a  constant  tension  on  the 
reins.  A  hand  too  rigidly  fixed,  with  fingers  too  firmly 
(clasped,  will  oppose  the  free  play  of  the  neck  and  will  be 
contrary  to  the  principle  just  stated.  Therefore,  in  the  leg 
lesson  when  forcing  the  horse  straight  ahead,  the  hand  must 
not  oppose  the  stretching  of  the  neck;  on  the  contrary,  the 
fingers  should  be  slightly  opened  up  so  that  nothing  can 
clash  with  the  animal's  intention  to  obey  the  aids. 


VII. 

The  Halt  How  to  Halt  a  Young  Horse.  To  halt,  Iran  hack 
slightly  and  pull  on  the  reins  with  gradually  increasing  force 
in  order  to  slow  and  then  stop  movement. 

When  the  trooper  pulls  on  the  reins,  the  horse  should 
neither  raise  nor  lower  the  head.  The  muzzle  should  remain 
to  the  front  and  the  whole  mass  of  the  neck  should  How  back 
towards  the  withers.  In  other  words,  under  the  action  of 
the  reins  the  horse  should  neither  throw  his  nose  up  in  the 
air  nor  bring  it  down  against  his  chest,  closing  up  on  the 
hand.  This  latter  fault  is  particularly  to  be  avoided.  It  is 
more  difficult  to  raise  the  muzzle  than  to  lower  it  and  any 
horse  that,  at  the  beginning  of  training,  withdraws  from 
neck  control,  becomes  especially  difficult  to  instruct. 

Should  Halts  be  Frequent  ?  The  halt  should  not  be  fre- 
quently practised  on  horses  inclined  to  fret  nor  on  those  with 
hind  legs  set  under  and  thus  liable  to  sit  down  on  the  haun- 
ches. On  the  contrary  it  should  be  often  used  in  cases 
where  the  conformation  throws  too  much  weight  on  the 
shoulders.  Training  ig  nothing  more  than  the  quest  of  bal- 
ance and  the  halt  will  be  a  well  chosen  suppling  exercise  for 
a  horse  with  a  high,  powerful  croup  that  makes  him  difficult 
to  slow  up. 

The  Change  of  Direction— Aids  to  Use.  To  change  direction 
to  the  right,  open  gently  the  right  rein  by  carrying  the  wrist 
to  the  front  and  right,  without  moving  the  elbow  and  witli- 
out  twisting  the  hand. 

The  effect  of  opening  must  be  produced  laterally  and  as 
little  as  possible  from  front  to  rear.  It  induces  a  movement 
of  the  haunches  and  furnishes  therefore  a  preliminary  means 
of  accustoming  the  horse  to  yield  to  the  pressure  of  one  leg. 

(33) 


34  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION 

To  change  direction  to  the  right  then,  the  aids  to  be 
used  are  the  right  rein  and  the  right  leg.* 

In  the  first  lesson,  the  turning  movement  will  not  be 
executed  with  precision  but  this  is  of  small  importance. 

It  is  not  a  question  of  bending  the  horse  on  a  quarter 
circle  as  should  be  done  with  a  trained  horse;  all  that  is 
necessary  is  to  make  the  horse  understand  what  action  re- 
sults from  the  opening  of  one  rein  and  the  closing  of  one  leg. 


When  the  leg  and  rein  on  the  same  side  are  used  as  aids, 
they  are  called  ^a^ero/ aids;  thus,  also,  lateral  effects  and 
lateral  equitation  (  The  Board) 


VIII. 

Outdoor  Work.  Conditioning  is  not  ;i  diaptcr  apart  in  the 
education  of  the  young  horse;  conditioning'  and  trainin;:  run 
together  and  the  horse  acquires  at  the  same  lime  iiahits  ot 
work  and  of  obedience.  It  would  he  a  mistake  to  tliink  that 
the  conditioning  of  a  horse  requires  tlie  jockey  seat  on  a 
sanded  track.  Riding  hall  work  and  out(lo(>r  exercise  are 
generally  sufficient. 

When  to  Begin.  Outside  work  should  be  begun  as  early  as 
possible.  It  is  an  advantage  to  take  the  horses  out  as  soon 
as  they  know  how  to  go  straight  ahead  and  to  turn  to  tlie 
right  and  left.  Outdoor  rides,  intelligently  conducted,  "put 
horses  into  the  bridle"*  and  improve  the  carriage. 

Moreover,  this  is  a  good  way  to  quiet  the  animals  as 
troopers  are  less  exacting  on  the  road  than  on  the  riding 
hall  track. 

Combination  of  Riding  Hall  and  Outside  Work.  This  outside 
work  must  be  combined  with  the  lessons  in  the  hall.  There 
is  no  necessity  of  feeling  compelled  to  follow  blindly  a  set 
schedule  such  as  to  work  on  the  road  for  six  weeks  and 
then  stay  inside  for  several  months.  On  the  contrary  it  is 
of  distinct  advantage  to  alternate  the  two  and  to  have  at 
least  least  two  outdoor  rides  each  week.  However,  the 
officer  in  charge  of  training  must  base  his  decision  as  to 
schedule  upon  the  deportment,  conformation  and  general 
(condition  of  his  horses.  Horses  in  poor  condition,  those 
that  fret  and  that   throw  too   much   weight   up(m   tlie  hind 

*  To  put  a  young  horse  into  his  bridle  is  to  make  him  take 
hold  of  his  bit  and  bear  on  it  properly  whenever  he  moves 
forward  under  the  impulse  of  both  legs.  He  thus,  as  pre- 
viously stated,  produces  a  proper  tension  on  the  reins. 

If  a  horse  fails  to  bear  on  the  bit  and  to  tighten  the  reins 
when  the  legs  urge  him  forward  he  is  said  to  be  "/;</////</ 
the  hit.''     (Thr  Board) 

(35) 


36  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

quarters  should  be  taken  out  frequently.  Clumsy  horses 
and  those  that  throw  the  weight  on  the  forehand  should  re- 
ceive most  of  their  work  in  the  hall. 

Choice  of  Ground.  If  possible,  soft  ground  should  be 
selected.  On  hard  ground  the  fetlock  joints  become  fatigued 
and  the  lower  legs  are  liable  to  injury;  the  horse  develops 
windpuffs  and  splints.  But  it  would  be  WTong  to  work  over 
heavy  ground;  the  hocks  would  suffer  and  eventually  spa- 
vins would  appear. 

When  training  has  been  completed,  good  results  may 
be  obtained  by  riding  a  horse  with  loose  reins  over  bad 
roads.  This  forces  the  horse  to  take  the  initiative  and  as 
he  is  allowed  complete  freedom  of  the  head,  he  easily  gets 
out  of  difficulties  even  on  very  bad  ground. 

Gaits.  In  outdoor  rides  there  should  be  alternation  of  the 
walk  and  trot,  gradually  increasing  at  each  outing  the 
amount  of  time  devoted  to  the  trot.  Towards  the  end  of 
the  period  of  training  the  distances  at  a  trot  should  be 
lengthened;  but  there  should  always  be  intervals  of  at  least 
ten  minutes  at  a  walk  to  allow  the  horse  to  resume  his  nor- 
mal breathing. 

The  gallop  should  not  be  used  in  outdoor  work  except 
upon  very  good  ground.  If  you  have  available  only  bad  or 
fair  footing,  do  not  gallop.  By  rigidly  enforcing  a  schedule, 
regardless  of  conditions,  the  result  will  inevitably  be  injury 
to  the  animals.  In  any  case,  galloping  should  not  begin 
outside  until  the  rider  is  sure  of  his  ability  to  make  his 
horse  lead  off  freely  with  either  foot.  He  can  then  Avork  his 
mount  equally  on  both  sides  and  can  avoid  those  struggles 
that  put  a  horse  in  the  air  during  the  whole  ride. 

Sweats.  A  horse  should  not  be  sweated  at  the  beginning 
of  training,  at  least,  not  until  his  disposition  has  been 
studied.  As  a  rule  any  excess  of  fat  disappears  with  ordi- 
nary work. 

When  giving  a  sweat,  a  suitable  day  and  hour  should 
be  sele(^t(Ml;    the   horse    should   be   well   covered,    wrapping 


AND    HORSE    TFiAlXlNd  37 

especially  the  parts  where  there  is  most  fat;  work  tli.-  liorne 
a  little  at  a  walk  and  then  gallop  him  steadily  until  li.-  is  in 
profuse  perspiration;  do  not  hurry  al)out  scraping,  hut  \vi 
the  sweat  have  plenty  of  time  to  exud(s  uncover  tlie 
horse  Httle  by  little  and  scrape  slowly,  bearin^^  udl  ,,n  the 
edge  of  the  scaper  to  force  out  the  sweat;  rchlanket  the 
horse  and  lead  him  around  at  a  walk  for  a  few  minutes;  un- 
cover and  scrape  again;  finally  walk  the  horse  until  lie  is 
perfectly  dry  before  returning  him  to  the  stable. 

There  should  always  be  an  interval  of  about  five  days 
between  sweats  and  ordinarily  three  or  four  will  })e  suffi- 
cient. Be  careful  that  the  horse  does  not  drink  to  excess  at 
the  next  watering. 

The  first  sweat  is  hard  to  bring;  the  third  and  fourth 
time  it  comes  more  easily. 

Purges.  In  addition  to  sweating,  it  is  sometimes  of  ad- 
vantage to  administer  purgatives  to  reduce  the  intestines  of 
horses  wdth  too  much  belly. 

Before  purging,  a  horse  should  be  put  on  di«^t  and 
mashes  for  48  hours.  Either  aloes  or  sulphate  of  soda  may 
be  used  as  a  purgative.  Aloes  acts  directly  upon  the  large 
intestines  and  for  this  reason  it  is  used  by  preference  for 
taking  off  belly.  It  is  administered  as  a  ball  in  doses  of  80 
to  50  grammes   (7  3-4  to  12  8-4  drams.)* 

Sulphate  of  soda  (Glauber  or  horse  salts)  is  given  dis- 
solved in  the  drinking  water  and  has  the  great  advantage  of 
never  irritating  the  intestines.  It  must  be  given  in  large 
doses,  800  grammes  at  least.    (9  1-2  ounces.) 

Condition  of  the  Legs.  Overexertion  of  tlie  legs  manifests 
itself  in  splints,  windpuffs,  spavins  and  in  the  swell ini;  and 
stiffening  of  the  fetlock  joints. 

*  In  our  service  a  ball  is  usually  made  of  aloes,  6  to  8  drams, 
with  ginger,  1  dram;  or  the  issue  "purgative  capsule"  in 
used.  Glauber  salts  is  an  excellent  laxative  but  is  not  on 
our  supply  table  The  use  of  physics  to  reduce  fat  has 
been  abandoned  in  this  country  on  account  of  the  acconi- 
panving  weakening  effects,  but  dieting  is  always  enforced. 

r   77/r     flnard) 


38  NOTES    OX   EQUTTATIOX 

In  case  of  swelling  of  the  fetlocks  and  windpuffs.  avoid 
work  on  hiird  ground,  and  cut  down  the  work:  use  douches 
and  hand  rubbing  and  apply  flannel  bandages. 

For  splints,  use  red  ointment  (mercuric  ointment — a 
blister)  as  soon  as  the  injury  appears. 

For  bog  spavins  stop  work  in  the  hall  and  all  collected 
work  at  the  gallop:  exercise  quietly  on  the  road  and  use 
douches. 

Appetite  and  Condition  of  the  Horse.  A  young  horse  must 
be  given  substantial  nourishment  in  order  to  readily  resist 
the  first  fatigues  of  training  and  also  because  he  is  still 
growing  at  the  age  when  his  education  is  undertaken.  More 
or  less  hay  according  to  the  animars  condition  and  always 
plenty  of  oats.  From  time  to  time,  every  eight  or  ten  days, 
a  handful  of  sulphate  of  soda  can  be  given  in  the  drinking 
water  or  in  a  mash  to  counteract  the  heating  effect  produced 
by  oats. 

If  horses  are  too  fat.  cut  down  the  hay  and  also  the 
water.  If  the  horses  are  in  poor  condition,  give  linseed 
mashes  and  put  dry  bran  in  the  oats:  Xiy  beans  and  carrots: 
in  a  word — variety.  Frequently  a  horse  refuses  to  eat  be- 
cause he  has  been  put  on  full  oats  too  suddenly;  in  this 
case,  cut  down  the  ration  or  even  place  the  animal  on  diet 
for  a  time. 

Results.  In  conclusion — if  outdoor  work  has  been  alter- 
nated with  riding  hall  work  in  proper  ratio,  the  yoimg 
horse,  at  the  end  of  training,  has  lost  any  surplus  fat:  has 
acquired  muscle:  his  joints  and  tendons  have  been  strength- 
ened and  his  wind  developed.  In  short,  after  a  length  of 
time  which  varies  with  age,  breeding  and  disposition,  the 
horse  is  in  condition  to  undergo  without  injury  the  hard- 
ships of  the  service  for  which  he  is  destined. 


IX. 

Second  Leg  Lesson  or  First  Suppling  of  the  Haunches.      \\v 

have  already  given  tlie  liorse  the  first  leg  h-sson — the 
lesson  in  moving  straight  to  the  front— hy  drilling  him 
to  yield  to  the  action  of  the  legs.  We  will  now  teach  him 
to  yield  to  the  effect  of  one  leg,  carrying  the  haunches  to 
the  right  or  left;  this  second  lesson,  which  necessitates  the 
crossing  of  the  hind  legs  and  gives  mohility  to  the  hind 
quarters,  is  a  most  useful    suppling  for  the  horse. 

The  best  w^ay  to  give  a  horse  this  second  lesson  is  to 
use  half  turns  on  the  forehand  in  reverse;  half  turns  on  the 
forehand  are  nothing  more  or  less  than  abouts  on  the  fore- 
hand made  w^hile  marching.*  For  example,  marching  on 
the  right  hand,  leave  the  track  on  a  diagonal  (oblique)   and 

*  In  the  expressions  "demi- voltes  renverses"  and  ''demi- 
tours  sur  les  epaules  faits  en  marchant"  an  apparent 
inconsistency  is  encountered.  The  "demi-tour  sur  les 
dpaules"  is  the  "about  on  the  forehand"  of  our  drill  regu- 
lations. If,  however,  instead  of  being  held  stationary,  the 
forehand  is  allowed  to  gain  ground  (en  marchant ),  we  will 
have  the  movement  contemplated  in  the  lesson  but  it  will 
necessarily  be  on  two  tracks,  the  semicircle  made  by  the 
hind  feet  having  a  greater  radius  than  that  made  by  the 
fore  feet.  Now  the  "volte"  is  nothing  more  than  our 
individual  "circle"  and  is  a  one-track  movement.  For 
clearness  then,  it  is  evident  that  a  word  is  needed  to  accur- 
ately describe  this  "about  made  while  marching,"  and  the 
Board  has  decided  to  use  the  expression  "half  turn." 
The  "turn"  of  the  riding  hall  will  be  a  movement  of  860 
and  it  may  be  urged  that  the  command  will  flash  with  the 
90""  turn  of  the  drill  regulations;  but,  as  one  is  for  an  exer- 
cise by  the  individual  trooper  and  the  other  is  for  a  change 
of  front  by  a  body  of  men  in  line,  it  is  thought  that  no 
confusion  will  result.     (  The  Board) 

(39) 


40  NOTES    ON    EQUITATION 

return  to  it  by  a  half  turn  to  the  left*  exacted  by  a  very  pro- 
nounced action  of  the  left  leg  and  left  rein.  This  strongly 
marked  lateral  effect  carries  the  horse's  haunches  to  the 
right;  that  is  to  say,  the  horse  while  still  gaining  ground 
yields  to  the  effect  of  the  left  leg  (and  left  rein)  and  thus 
describes  a  half  turn.  The  same  movement  is  executed 
while  marching  on  the  left  hand  and  the  horse  eventually 
swings  the  haunches  easily  about  the  forehand,  without 
halting,  without  striking  the  fetlocks  and  without  dancing. 
(Without  either  increase  or  decrease  of  cadence. — The 
Board.) 

We  have  specified  half  turns  reversed,    but  abouts,  full 
turns,  and  later,  serpentines  can  also  be  used. 

About  on  the  Forehand.  The  second  lesson  may  also  be 
given  by  means  of  the  abouts  on  the  forehand;  but  it  would 
be  wise  not  to  insist  upon  this  movement  and  to  use  it  only 
when  absolutely  necessary. 

The  great  drawback  to  abouts   on  the   forehand  is  the 
frequent  halting  of  a  young  horse   and  the   holding  him  in 

*  The  commands  for  this   exercise  are:     1.  Right   oblique,, 

2.  MARCH,  and    1.   On  forehand,    2.   Half  turn  in  reverse, 

3.  MARCH. 

"Half  turn  in  reverse"  could,  in  this  case,  be  expressed 
"Left  half  turn"  but  "in  reverse"  (renvers^)  has  par- 
ticular significance  and  the  terms  should  be  retained  on 
that  account. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  at  this  stage  of  his  instruction 
the  colt  has  learned  little  and  would  be  unable  to  execute 
a  left  half  turn  in  the  open.  In  the  hall,  however,  he  un- 
derstands the  opening  of  the  right  rein  that  guides  him  oft 
the  track,  to  which  he  has  grown  accustomed,  into  the 
the  right  oblique,  and  he  understands  the  opening  of  the 
rcvrr.se  rein  to  guide  him  back.  The  prompt  and  force- 
ful use  of  the  left  leg  then  swings  his  haunches  about  and 
instead  of  being  confused  he  moves  out  willingly  in  the 
opposite  direction  because  he  is  again  on  his  familiar  track 
next  to  the  wall.     (  71ie  Board) 

Obliquing  to  the  right,  if  the  command  be  simply  on 
forehand  "Half  turn.,"  "MARCH,"  the  movement  is  con- 
tiiHied  to  the  right  in  the  turn. 


AND   HORSE    TRAININ(J  41 

place  by  the  action  of  the  legs.  Tliis  l«'ss(.n  used  n-pcatrdly 
at  the  beginning  of  training  will  eventual  ly  cheek  any 
movement  straight  to  the  front  that  has  Ix'cn  ah'eady  ..h- 
tained. 

Major  Dntilh,  although  he  explains  in  detail  the  system 
of  abouts  on  the  forehand,  himself  points  out  the  danger  of 
using  them,  for,  following  his  explanation,  he  says:  "Cau- 
tion riders  that  abouts  on  the  forehand  have  the  disadvant- 
age of  rendering  horses  unresponsive  to  the  action  of  the 
legs.  In  order  to  counteract  this  tendency,  which  prowpth/ 
leads  tip  to  resistance,  it  is  urged  that  the  horse  be  pushed 
straight  ahead  at  a  trot  after  each  one  of  these   pivotings.'' 

In  spite  of  these  drawbacks,  the  abouts  on  the  forehand 
can  be  employed  advantageously  in  certain  cases.  In  fact, 
they  should  be  used  with  horses  that  are  too  hot-headed, 
with  those  that  bulge  on  the  hand  and  with  those  that  are 
slow^  to  learn.  *  *  «      ,^  *  * 

(The  different  series  of  exercises  in  the  Dutilh  method 
of  executing  the  abouts  on  the  forehand  are  omitted  as  a 
refinement  for  which  there  is  rarely  sufficient  time.  Thf^ 
Board. ) 

Suppling  of  the  Haunches  Continued.  If  the  preceding  les- 
sons have  produced  mobility  of  the  croup  by  lateral  effects, 
and  if  the  horse  yields  readily  to  the  action  of  the  leg  and 
rein  on  the  same  side  while  marching  on  an  arc.  it  is  time 
to  exact  the  same  obedience  while  marching  on  a  straight 
line  or  following  the  track,  that  is  to  say,  to  start  the  horse 
on  the  movement  called  "haunches  in".  This  movement 
which  continues  the  suppling  of  the  croup  has  the  further 
advantage  of  confirming  obedience  to  the  legs. 

Haunches  In.  Marching  on  the  right  hand,  indicate  o]v 
position  with  the  left  rein  and  close,  at  the  same  time,  the 
left  leg.  If  the  horse  yields  and  swings  the  croup  inside  of 
the  track  by  even  one  step,  while  still  gaining  ground  to  the 
front,  straighten  him  again  at  once  with  the  right  rein  and 
leg;     Repeat  this  swinging  of    the    hamiches    several    times 


42  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION 

but  in  the  first  lessons,  do  not  insist.     Gradually   lengthen 

the  time  before  straightening. 

***** 

Haunches  in,  is  a  suppling  exercise  for  the  hind  quar- 
ters; its  object  is  to  make  the  spinal  column  pliable  and  to 
accustom  the  hind  legs  to  stepping  across  each  other.  It 
also  makes  the  haunches  quick  to  obey  and  constitutes  an 
excellent  preparation  for  two-track  work  and  for  the  gallop 
lead. 

Difference  Between  Haunches  In  and  Two-Track  Work.  The 
movement  of  swinging  the  haunches  in  must  not  be  con- 
fused with  two-track  work.  The  latter  is  a  regular  move- 
ment to  be  taken  up  after  the  completion  of  the  suppling  of 
the  forehand  as  well  as  that  of  the  haunches;  in  this  move- 
ment the  horse,  placed  or  held  correctly  in  a  position  from 
head  to  croup,  is  oblique  to  his  path  rather  than  curved  to 
it.  The  former,  on  the  contrary,  is  merely  an  exercise  with 
the  object  of  making  the  haunches  supple  and  easily  con- 
trolled. 

Dismounted  Work.  Before  beginning  mounted  work  on 
the  haunches,  it  is  sometimes  useful  to  pave  the  way  by  dis- 
mounted work  with  the  whip;  such  work  may  be  advantage- 
ously combined  with  longeing.  Work  with  the  whip  is 
directed  especially  at  the  hind  quarters  and  should  not  be 
confused  with  the  dismounted  bending  lessons  which  we 
will  take  up  later  in  curb-bridle  work. 

There  are  two  principle  movements: 
1.  To  move  the  horse  to  the  front  with  the  whip:  The 
horse  being  on  the  track  and  on  the  left  hand,  seize  the 
reins  about  six  inches  from  the  bit  with  the  left  hand,  pull 
them  forward  and  at  the  same  time  strike  light  taps  with 
the  whip  behind  the  girth  where  the  leg    is    usually  applied. 

If  the  horse  moves  forward,  let  him  walk  a  few  steps, 
make  much  of  him  and  then  halt  him. 

If  he  stands  still,  gradually  increase  the  force  of  the 
whip  taps  until  he  moves. 

If  the  horse  backs  away,    hold  him  tight  with  the  hand 


AND    HOHSK    'I' KAIN  1\( ;  48 

on  the  reins  and  continue  tlie  use  of  tlic  wliip  Ixliind  tUr 
iiirth  until  lie  moves  forward;  then  caress  liiiu  an«l  haU  liini. 
2.  To  strifu/  fhf"  hdHurhes:  The  trooper  standing  on  the 
left  of  the  horse  seizes  the  reins  witli  lh<'  left  liand  and 
applies  light  taps  with  the  whip  hehind  the  i^drtli  until  the 
horse  moves  the  haunches  from  left  to  right. 

The  left  hand  prevents  the  horse  from  getting  away  to 
the  front  and  b}'  opposing  the  forehand  to  the  haunches, 
assists  the  action  of  the  w^hip  in  moving  the   hind    cjuarters. 

In  this  movement  the  forehand  should  move  and  tin- 
fore  legs  should  cross,  but  on  an  arc  of  very  small  radius. 

Dismounted  work  should  be  considered  as  of  only  sec- 
ondary importance.  It  will  be  of  great  benefit  with  some 
horses  and  practically  useless  wdth  others.  In  any  case, 
dismounted  lessons  should  alwavs  be  verv  brief. 


X. 

Suppling  the  Forehand.  The  hind  quarters  having  been 
drilled  by  the  foregoing  work,  we  must  promptly  train  the 
forehand  in  order  that  both  ends  of  the  horse  shall  be  in 
harmony  as  regards  mobility  and  suppleness. 

Shoulder  In.  "Shoulder  in"  is  the  starting  point  in  fore- 
hand suppling;  this  exercise  furnishes  the  means  of  bending 
the  forehand  and  spinal  column  and  of  training  the  fore  legs 
to  cross  each  other  easily.  La  Gueriniere  says:  "This  les- 
son produces  so  many  good  results  at  once,  that  I  consider 
it  the  first  and  the  last  to  be  given  to  the  horse". 

"Shoulder  in"    is  obtained  in  the  following  manner: 

Marching  on  the  right  hand,  open  the  right  rein  as  in 
changing  direction  to  the  right,  and  press  the  left  rein  upon 
the  neck.  Close  the  right  leg  to  push  the  mass  from  right 
to  left  and  slip  the  left  leg  behind  the  girth  to  restrict  as 
much  as  possible  the  swinging  of  the  haunches. 

The  support  of  the  left  rein  is  indispensable  in  order  to 
keep  the  proper  balance  of  the  shoulders,  that  is  to  prevent 
the  weight  of  the  right  shoulder  from  plunging  heavily  upon 
the  left  shoulder. 

The  horse's  head  must  be  firmly  held  between  the  two 
reins,  otherwise  the  exercise  would  become  a  lateral  flexion 
of  the  neck  and  would  do  more  harm  than  good. 

The  bending  of  the  horse's  body  should  not  be  ovei- 
strained.  For  example  it  is  perfect  if,  on  the  right  hand, 
the  left  front  foot  and  the  right  hind  foot  make  tracks  on  a 
line  obviously  parallel  to  the  wall  of  the  riding  hall. 

The  dift'erence  between  shoulder  in  and  two  track  work 
is  analogous  to  that  between  haunches  in  and  two  track 
work.  In  the  movement  of  shoulder  in,  if  the  trooper  eases 
the  hands  slightly,  the  horse,  being  bent  and  not  obliqued, 
will    quit   the   trac^k   and    start  to   make   a  circle.       If,    in 

(44) 


NOTES    ON    EQUITATION  45 

haunches  out  on  two  trucks,  the  trooper  (>as('s  the  hands, 
the  horse,  being  traversed  and  not  hent,  quits  the  track  and 
moves  off  at  an  oblique. 

About  on  the  Haunches.  The  a})out  on  tlic  haunclics  con- 
sists in  causing  the  forehand  to  descri})e  a  half  circle  around 
the  haunches.  It  is  a  difficult  movement  and,  custonuiry 
methods  of  instruction  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding, 
should  not  be  taken  up  until  after  the  completion  of  the 
exercises  of  haunches  in  and  shoulder  in. 

The  first  part  of  the  movement  is  easy  enough;  i)ut  the 
last  part  is  difficult.  Take  for  instance  the  right  about. 
Begin  .the  movement  like  a  change  of  direction  to  the  right, 
holding  the  haunches  firmly  with  the  left  leg.  In  the  re- 
mainder of  the  exercise  the  controlling  aids  are  the  left  rein 
and  the  left  leg.  The  left  rein  has  first  a  bearing  effect 
that,  assisted  by  the  right  rein,  swings  the  forehand  on  its 
path;  thereafter,  it  has  an  effect  of  diagonal  traction,  pull- 
ing the  mass  back  upon  the  right  hock  and  thus  holding 
the  haunches  stationary. 

The  about  on  the  haunches  is  executed  on  the  inside 
liind  leg,  the  outside  hind  leg  gaining  ground  around  it. 

Lateral  Effect  and  Diagonal  Effect.  The  movements  that 
have  been  already  executed  with  the  rein  and  the  leg  on  the 
same  side,  suffice  to  show  the  difference  between  the  lateral 
(effect  and  the  diagonal  effect. 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  former  is  the  means  and  that 
the  latter  is  the  end  in  view.  With  young  horses  the  right 
rein  comes  to  the  assistance  of  the  right  leg:  lateral  effect. 
With  trained  horses,  the  rein  places  or  controls  the  fore- 
hand while  the  leg  controls  the    haunches:     diagonal    effect. 


XI. 

Two  Track  Work.  Two  track  work  consists  in  making  the 
forelegs  cross  each  other  and  the  hind  legs  cross  each  other, 
gaining  ground  to  the  front  or  without  gaining  ground  to 
the  front;  the  horse  is  set  (placed)  to  the  flank  toward 
which  he  is  marching. 

1.  On  the  Track.  Haunches  in.  When  both  the  forehand 
and  the  haunches  have  been  sufficiently  suppled,  the  move- 
ment of  haunches  in  should  be  changed  into  haunches  in  on 
two  traclxS.*  That  is  to  say,  that  as  the  horse  gradually  be- 
comes more  obedient  to  the  leg,  the  lateral  effect  should 
gradually  make  way  for  the  diagonal  effect.  In  other  words, 
when  the  horse  yields  readily  to  the  left  leg,  for  instance,  it 
is  useless  to  continue  the  left  rein  in  opposition  and  we  ac- 
cordingly attain  the  full  and  regular  movement  in  which  the 
forehand  is  set  in  the  direction  of  march. 

Haunches  out.  After  the  horse  has  mastered  the  preced- 
ing movement,  he  should  be  taught  haunches  out  on  two 
tracks.*  The  principles  are  the  same;  but  this  latter  lesson 
is  much  to  be  preferred,  because  the  horse  executes  it  with- 
out being  guided  by  the  wall  or  by  routine;  he  merely  obeys 
the  reins  and  legs. 

In  this  movement  the  horse  must  not  be  allowed  to 
hang  back  or  to  get  behind  the  bit.  To  keep  him  w^ell  into 
the  reins,  the  two-track  lesson  must  frequently  be  terminat- 
ed by  moving  out  either  on  a  half  turn  in  reverse  or  on  an 
oblique  to  change  hands. 

Two  track  movements  with  the  haunches  in  or  out  are 
very  fatiguing  to  the  young  horse   and   should   not  be   pro- 

*  "-On  two  tracks"  will  be  a  general  preparatory  command. 

Thus: 
1.   On  two  tracks.     2.   Haunches  in  (or  out.)     3.  MARCH. 
1.   On  two  tracks.    2.  Eight  (or  Left)  oblique.     3.  MARCH, 

( The    Board) 

(46) 


NOTES   ON    EC^riTATION  47 

longed  beyond  a  few  steps.  Undue  persistence  in  these 
movements  would  make  a  horse  refuse;  he  would  strike  his 
fetlocks  while  stepping  across  and  would  sooner  or  later 
resist  in  order  to  escape  the  pain  caused  hy  these  repeated 
blows. 

2.  On  the  Diagona I  of  the  Hall.  Advuu  f (({/<-  of  th is  pxf^rris<\ 
Movements  of  the  haunches  should  be  repeated  on  the  diag- 
onal of  the  hall  (while  changing  hands)  and  in  half  turns. 
Two  track  work  on  the  diagonal  of  the  hall  makes  a  jx-rfect 
lesson.  Any  tendency  to  slacken  the  gait  is  avoided,  and  the 
horse  takes  to  this  exercise  more  willingly  than  to  that  on 
the  track  because  it  is  easier  and  there  is  less  chance  of 
striking  the  fetlocks  in  cross  stepping. 

In  two-track  work,  do  not  persist  in  a  movement  poorly 
begun  or  poorly  executed.  If  the  horse  frets,  dances  or 
backs,  put  him  on  a  straight  line  again,  quiet  him  and  then 
return  to  the  two-track  lesson. 

3.  On  a  Circle.  Two-track  work  on  a  circle*  is  executed 
on  the  same  principles.  The  following  remarks  are  perti- 
nent: 

(a)  Haunches  out  on  two-tracks  on  a  circle  puts  the 
horse  into  his  bridle  and  upon  his  forehand.  He  supports 
himself  to  a  great  extent  on  the  fore  legs  and  lightens  the 
hind  quarters  which,  having  a  longer  route  to  travel,  derive 
more  benefit. 

This  movement  should  be  used  for  horses  that  hang 
back,  or  that  have  too  much  weight  on  the  hind  quarters. 

(h)  Haunches  in,  on  two  tracks  on  a  circle  produces 
effects  diametrically  opposite.  It  is  a  special  exercise  for 
suppling  the  forehand  and  should  be  used  for  horses  that 
have  too  much  weight  on  the  shoulders. 

Two  Track  Work  at  a  Slow  Trot.  All  two-track  exerc  ises 
should  be   repeated  at  a  slow   trot.     Such   work,    with  the 

*  After  a  platoon  or  squad  has  been  placed  upon  a  circle  as 

prescribed  in  par.  240  D.  K.,  the  instructor  commands: 
1.   On  tivo  tracks.     2.    Haiinelic.s  in  (^or  <nit.)     3.    MARCH. 


48  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION 

liaunches  set  diagonally  develops  rapid  progress  in   young 
liorses.** 

**  After  the  young  horses  have  been  sufficiently  trained  to 
execute  two-track  movements  for  several  steps  and  the 
instructor  desires  to  have  such  movements  discontinued 
simultaneously, he  commands:  ^'As  you  tvere." 
In  order  to  study  the  progress  and  faults  of  the  individual 
horse  and  rider  the  instructor  causes  members  of  the 
squad  to  execute  in  succession  a  given  movement  by 
the  use  of  the  preliminary  command:  Fin^f  Trooper. 
Thus,  with  the  squad  marching  on  the  diagonal  of  the  hall 
the  instructor  commands — 

1.  First  Trooper.  2.  Haunches  rights  in  time  to  add  3. 
MARCH,  when  the  leading  trooper  is  at  about  six  yards 
from  the  track.  Each  trooper  in  succession  executes  the 
movement  on  the  same  ground  and  the  instructor  places 
himself  where  he  can  closelv  observe  details. 


XII. 

/s  it  Advantageous  to  Prolong  the  First  Part  of  Training? 
There  is  a  distinct  advantage  in  prolongimj  flu  jxtrt  <>i 
training  that  is  done  on  the  maffle  bit.  So  long  as  tin- 
young  horse  is  unsteady  and  wabbly,  so  long  as  there  is 
danger  of  encountering  resistance,  it  would  be  better  t.. 
leave  him  on  the  snaffle.  With  this  bit  struggles  are  le.«s 
frequent,  those  that  are  unavoidable  are  less  harmful  and. 
on  the  days  of  bad  humor  on  the  part  of  horse  or  rider, 
there  is  less  chance  of  ruining  the  work  accomplished  in 
preceding  lessons. 

Moreover,  the  young  horse  nearly  always  needs  to  have 
his  neck  raised,  strengthened  and  set.  If  he  has  no  breed- 
ing and  the  curb  bit  is  used  too  soon,  he  has  a  tendency  to 
bring  the  muzzle  down  against  the  chest  or  to  bear  heavily 
on  the  hand.  If,  on  the  contrary,  he  has  class  and  energy, 
and  is  put  on  the  curb  bit  before  he  thoroughly  understands 
the  leg  aids,  he  will  struggle  against  the  hand,  use  his 
strength  in  fighting  the  bit  and  subsequently  much  time 
will  be  required  to  quiet  him  and  smooth  out  his  gaits. 

Bending  Lessons  on  the  Snaffle.  When  and  How  to  be  Ex- 
acted. It  is  better  to  take  up  bending  lessons  on  the  snaf- 
fle too  late  rather  than  too  soon.  As  long  as  the  horse  is 
not  well  up  in  the  reins,  there  is  no  opportunity  to  begin. 
When  he  bears  properly  on  the  bit,  and  not  before,  he 
should  be  taught  to  yield  the  jaw  and  to  place  the  head  t«> 
the  right  or  left. 

In  preliminary  bending  lessons,  to  draw  the  head  to  the 
right,  the  rider  pulls  gently  and  slowly  upon  the  right  rein, 
and  holds  the  left  rein  steady  to  regulate  the  amount  of  dis- 
placement of  the  head  as  well  as  to  prevent,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, any  bending  of  the  neck;  the  head  alone  should  be 
turned  to  the  right.     The  movement  will   be  well  execute*  1 

(49) 


50  NOTES    ON    EQUITATION 

if  the  head,  held  high  rather  than  low,  remains  vertical;  if 
the  jaw  is  flexible,  and  if  the  displacement  of  the  head  to 
the  right  or  left  does  not  pass  outside  of  the  vertical  planes 
parallel  to  the  axis  of  the  horse  and  passing  through  the 
points  of  the  shoulders. 

In  these  bending  lessons  which  are  ruvarnthly  practiced 
while  the  animal  is  moving,  the  legs  must  be  used  to  keep 
up  a  steady  gait  and  to  prevent  slowing  up. 

Easing  the  Hand  on  the  Snaffle.  Bending  lessons  should 
always  be  followed  by  easing  the  hand,  which  is  a  rest  for 
the  horse  after  a  somewhat  fatiguing  exercise,  and  a  relief 
to  the  hind  quarters;  this  exercise  is  also  a  means  of  extend- 
ing and  lowering  the  head  of  the  horse  and  of  accustoming 
him  to  keep  in  touch  with  his  bit. 

When  the  easing  of  the  hand  is  well  done,  the  horse 
after  yielding  the  jaw,  should  extend  his  neck  little  by  little 
and  answer  to  the  bending  lesson  even  after  his  head  is 
down.  These  bendings  at  the  end  of  the  reins  give  most 
excellent  results. 

The  easing  of  the  hand  should  be  most  carefully  dis- 
tinguished from  the  movement  when  the  horse  bores  savage- 
ly against  the  hand.  This  habit  of  boring  or  diving  is  easily 
acquired  if  the  rider  releases  his  hand  suddenly  instead  of 
keeping  a  constant  tension  on  the  reins  and  graduallj^  fol- 
lowing the  horse's  head. 


XIII. 

When  and  How  Should  the  Gallop  be  Exacted  in  the  First 
Part  of  Horse  Training?  Almost  invariahly  tlu' ^/allop  l.-ssoii 
should  be  begun  early.  There  is  tlu^n  available  an  addi- 
tional means  of  suppling  the  horse,  of  strengthening  him, 
extending  him  and  pushing  him  straight  ahead.  JUit  a  fixed 
rule  can  not  be  laid  down  with  horses  and  especially  in  this 
matter;  the  time  to  take  up  first  work  at  a  gallop  depends 
upon  the  conformation  of  the  horse,  his  condition,  his  leg 
development  and  the  kind  of  ground  available.  It  would 
be  stupidity  to  gallop  frequently  on  a  colt  that  drags  his 
legs  and  is  disunited  at  a  trot  and  that  has  diiiiculty  in 
holding  up  the  part  essential  to  training.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  proper  to  gallop  repeatedly  on  a  vigorous  horse 
that  has  been  worked  before  purchase,  on  the  horse  with 
good  strong  legs  and  particularly  after  he  has  been  thorough- 
ly confirmed  in  the  correct  trot. 

This  is  a  matter  of  common  sense  and  experience;  a 
horseman  will  promptly  decide  at  what  moment  he  can  pro- 
fitably begin  gallop  work  with  the  horse  he  is  riding  or  with 
the  squad  he  is  instructing. 

The  Gallop  by  Increase  of  Gait.  Utility  of  Work  on  a  Circle. 
Passing  from  the  walk  to  the  gallop  may  be  considered  as  a 
test  of  advanced  training;  it  will  therefore  be  entirely  out  of 
place  at  this  stage  and  we  must  take  up  the  gallop  only  by 
increasing  the  gait  from  the  trot.  Moreover,  it  is  essential 
that  the  horse  shall  work  equally  well  on  l)oth  sides  and 
since,  on  the  circle,  the  horse  is  set  to  lead  on  the  inside 
leg,  we  have  an  opportunity  to  insure  the  galloj)  \vm\  on 
either  foot. 

Increasing  the  gait  from  a  trot  on  a  circle  furnishes 
therefore  the  means  of  fulfilling  the  two  essential  conditions 
just  cited. 

(ol) 


52  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION. 

The  aids  to  be  used  are  both  legs  and  the  outside  rein. 
The  two  legs,  by  steadily  forcing  an  increased  gait  push  the 
horse  into  the  gallop.  A  slight  tension  on  the  outside  rein 
prevents  the  horse  from  swinging  the  haunches  out  and  con- 
sequently precludes  a  false  lead  or  a  disunited  gallop. 

The  circle  is  the  best  means  to  give  the  gallop  lesson 
when  the  squad  to  be  drilled  is  rather  large  in  numbers. 

Besides  the  advantages  already  enumerated,  troopers 
are  enabled  to  work  without  interfering  with  each  other,  in 
spite  of  the  difference  in  speed  which  manifests  itself  in  the 
gallop  of  young  horses.  But  if  the  number  of  troopers  work- 
ing in  the  hall  is  limited,  it  is  possible  to  secure  the  lead  on 
the  desired  foot  by  increasing  the  gait  from  the  trot  at  the 
corner  or  on  the  completion  of  a  flank  movement,  or  at  the 
end  of  a  movement  to  change  hands. 

The  gallop  must  be  attained  at  the  moment  the  horse 
begins  the  change  of  direction;  for  if  he  does  not  relinquish 
the  trot  until  the  change  of  direction  is  completed,  his 
haunches  can  easily  swing  out  and  the  favorable  oppor- 
tunitv  is  lost. 


XIV. 

Backing.     Method  of  Execution.     T\w  first  lesson   in  hack- 
ing may  be  given  dismounted  and  in  the  toHowin^   manner: 

Being  on  the  left  side,  with  the  reins  in  tlie  left  hand 
and  the  whip  in  the  right,  stimulate  the  hind  quarters  by  a 
touch  with  the  whip  and  take  advantage  of  this  mobility  to 
exact  one  or  two  steps  backward. 

The  horse  should  be  made  to  move  to  the  front  again 
immediately  by  leading  him  forward  with  the  left  hand, 
and,  if  necessary,  by  touching  him  lightly  with  the  whip. 

To  give  this  same  lesson  mounted,  begin  by  closing  the 
legs  as  in  moving  to  the  front  and  then  move  the  horse 
backward  by  leaning  back  slightly  and  by  pulling  on  the 
reins  with  gradually  increasing  force. 

Here  we  see  a  striking  example  of  the  principle  of 
starting  everything  wdth  the  movement  to  the  front.  The 
action  of  the  legs  before  the  action  of  the  hands  is  a  funda- 
mental idea  to  be  inculcated  in  the  mind  of  every  trooper. 
In  backing,  the  legs  are  used  first  to  produce  the  movement 
to  the  front  and  the  hand  is  used  next  to  transform  the  for- 
ward impulse  into  a  backward  movement. 

After  a  few  steps  backward,  start  the  horse  forward 
again,  halt  him  and  caress  him. 

If  a  horse  refuses  to  obey,  the  instructor  takes  him  by 
the  reins  and  causes  him  to  execute  the  movement  as  in 
dismounted  work. 

If  the  horse  braces  himself  on  his  hind  legs  at  the 
moment  that  the  hand  acts  to  make  him  move  backward, 
the  instructor  moves  him  forward  a  step  or  two  or  makes 
him  swing  his  haunches  slightly  and  takes  advantage  of  this 
mobility  to  force  him  backward. 

This  movement  is  well  executed  when  the  horse  moves 
backward  step  by  step  and  voluntarily  moves  to  the  fr(»nt 
again  as  soon  as  the  trooper  releases  the  hand. 

(58) 


54  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION 

If,  instead  of  backing  slowly  and  step  by  step,  the 
horse  hurries  the  movement  and  is  about  to  come  down  up- 
on the  haunches,  the  trooper  promptly  stops  all  action  of 
the  hand*  and  corrects  the  horse  by  attacking  him  vigor- 
ously with  the  legs  or  with  the  spurs  to  push  him  forward 
again. 

This  Exercise  to  be  Insisted  Upon  in  What  Cases?  Backing 
is  a  suppling  exercise  for  the  back  as  well  as  the  haunches, 
and  it  is  an  indispensable  movement  for  the  saddle  horse. 
Yet  it  should  not  be  abused,  particularly  in  the  early  stages 
of  training,  as  resistance  will  eventually  be  developed. 
Moreover,  it  is  not  suitable  for  all  horses  indiscriminately 
but  should  be  used  especially  for  those  that  have  difficulty 
in  bringing  the  hind  legs  under  or  that  have  too  much 
weight  on  the  forehand. 

Individual  Work.  (At  will.)  Nearly  all  instructors  have 
the  bad  habit  of  grouping  young  horses  too  much.  The 
greater  part  of  a  drill  is  devoted  to  work  with  fixed  dis- 
tances, which  gives  the  horses  the  idea  of  sticking  in  ranks. 
We  have  already  said  that  it  is  better  to  work  without  re- 
gard to  distances.  And  from  the  verj^  beginning  it  is  also 
essential  to  execute  all  movements  in  both  directions  and 
at  will.  If,  in  addition,  we  give  a  few  outdoor  rides  in  pairs, 
the  young  horses  will  become  quiet  free  movers  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  training  exercises  will   be   that  much  easier. 

Condition  of  the  Horse  at  the  End  of  the  Work  in  the  Snaffle 
Bridle.  At  the  end  of  instruction  in  the  snaffle  bridle,  the 
horse  should  be  willing  on  the  road  and  tranquil  in  the  rid- 
ing hall.  He  executes  correctly  the  movement  of  haunches 
in,  shoulder  in  and  two  track  work  at  a  walk  and  at  a  slow 
trot.  He  takes  up  the  gallop  easily  on  either  foot  by  in- 
creasing the  gait  from  the  trot.  He  has  found  his  balance 
while  moving  freely  to  the  front,  a  double  condition  which 
is  satisfactorily  fulfilled  if  he  keeps  the  reins  taut  without 
*  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  trooper  has  probably  lost  all  action 
of  the  hand  because  in  this  faulty  movement  tlie  horse  is 
invariably  behind  the  bit. 


AND   HORSK    TKAININ(;  5') 

ever  bearing  on  the  hand.  His  j^^aitw  are  elean;  hr  caii 
lengthen  the  walk  without  jigging  and  the  trot  without  h<- 
coming  disunited;  his  wind  has  been  developed  and  lie  can 
keep  up  a  lengthened  gallop  for  several  minutes. 

When  this  entire  program  has  been  carried  out  and 
especially  when  the  horse  begins  to  pull  on  the  hand,  it  is 
time  to  take  up  the  double  bridle. 


XV. 

Instruction  in  the  Double  Bridle.  The  instructor's  first  care 
must  be  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  horses  are  bitted.  A 
mild  curb  bit  should  be  selected,  •  that  is  to  say,  a  bit  with 
large  cannons,  a  low  port  (only  slightly  restricting  the  free- 
dom of  the  tongue)  and  short  branches.  The  bit  should  be 
placed  in  the  mouth  high  rather  than  low  and  the  curb- 
chain  should  be  left  long  so  as  to  facilitate  at  first  a  swing- 
ing motion  of  the  bit.  When  the  horses  bear  freely  on  the 
curb  bit  and  when  they  submit  to  this  new /mouthpiece  just 
as  they  formerly  received  the  effects  of  the  snaffle,  the  curb 
bit  may  be  lowered  to  its  proper  place  and  the  chain  tight- 
ened to  customary  tension. 

If  the  horse  has  a  sensitive  mouth,  it  is  well  to  replace, 
for  a  time,  the  ordinary  curb  by  a  broken  curb.*  The  latter 
gives  a  mouthpiece  more  severe  than  the  snaffle  but  milder 
than  the  curb  and  the  horse  also  becomes  accustomed  to 
the  chain.  The  broken  curb  should  be  kept  on  for  a  certain 
length  of  time  and  may  be  resumed  later  if,  during  the 
course  of  training,  it  is  noticed  that  the  horse  has  a  tend- 
ency to  get  behind  the  bit. 

Successive  Steps  to  Accustom  the  Young  Horse  to  the  Curb 
Bit.  In  the  first  lessons  in  the  double  bridle,  work  should 
be  begun  on  the  snaffle  bit.  When  the  horse  has  settled 
down  and  is  well  in  hand  he  can  be  ridden  on  the  curb.  It 
is  to  be  remarked,  and  the  remark  is  important,  that  bend- 
ing lessons  are  never  to  be  given  in  the  early  stages  of  work 
on  the  curb.  For  these  lessons,  you  must  wait  until  the 
horse  fearlessly  accepts  contact  with  the  bit  and  tightens 
the  curb  reins  as  he  formerly  did  the  snaffle  reins.  If  this 
method  of  procedure  sometimes  has  the  drawback  of  pro- 
ducing mouths  with  little  feeling,  we  guarantee  that  it  is 
*  A  curb  bit  with  snaffle  mouthpiece. 


NOTES    OX    Ec^riTATlON  /i7 

less  ditticult  to  supple  a  part  that  presents  stiffness  tli.ii.   t<. 
make  a  part  firm  where  all  resistance  is  lacking. 

To  attain  this  bearing  on  the  l)it  the  following  schcduh 
should  be  followed: 

1.  Ride  the  horse  with  the  reins  in  both  hands,  piaciiig 
the  snaffle  rein  outside,  under  the  little  linger.  (See  (^k^- 
tionXXV). 

2.  At  first,  during  work  at  a  walk  and  later  during  work 
at  a  trot,  ride  the  horse  with  the  curb  rein  alone;  the  reinh 
may  be  held  in  one  hand  or  in  both  hands. 

3.  Finally  adopt  the  ordinary  method  of  holding  the 
reins. 

With  each  of  these  different  methods  of  holding  the 
reins,  the  horse  must  be  made  to  repeat  simple  movement :- 
with  which  he  is  already  familiar. 

Moreover,  the  horse  should  be  frequently  put  hack  on 
the  snaffle  alone  and  be  ridden  at  extended  gaits  in  order  to 
restore  the  confidence  that  he  may  have  lost  in  heginnin-: 
lessons  on  the  curb. 

During  this  preparatory  period  the  legs  play  an  import- 
ant role.  It  is  essential  that  the  curb  bit  should  i)r()duee 
upon  the  horse  no  slowing  or  backing  effect  and  that  th< 
forward  movement  produced  by  the  legs  should  overcome 
any  tendency  in  the  other  direction  which  might  he  the  re- 
sult of  the  first  use  of  this  bit. 

Bending  Lessons.  As  previously  stated,  bending  lesson^ 
should  not  be  begun  until  the  horse  has  become  thoroughly 
accustomed  to  his  new  mouthpiece  and  fearlessly  :i('<«'pts 
contact  of  both  bit  and  chain. 

Before  setting  forth  a  schedule  of  hendings,  it  will  he 
advisable  to  cite  the  following  principles  relating  thereto: 

1.  Never  slacken  the  gait  during  bending  lessons.  The 
hand  does  not  pull  the  horse  back;  the  legs  push  him  for- 
ward until  he  encounters  the  bit  when  a  bending  results. 

.2.  Bendings  with  the  snaffle  bit  should  not  be  made  ex- 
cept with  one  rein  alone.  Both  snaffle  reins  are  used  in 
order  to  raise  the  head  and  to  support  the   horse   and   there- 


58  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

fore  they  should  never  be  combined  to  exact  bending. 

3.  It  is  just  the  reverse  with  the  curb  bit,  the  reins  of 
which  are  rarely  separate  in  their  action.  The  main  object 
in  view  is  a  light  feel  on  both  reins. 

4.  Do  not  bend  the  neck  (laterally).  In  setting  the 
head  the  upper  part  of  the  neck  is  involved  and  that  is 
generally  enough. 

5.  Frequently  follow  up  the  bendings  by  easing  the  hand 
and  as  soon  as  the  horse  has  extended  his  neck  to  the  full 
extent,  exact  another  bending  with  the  head  down. 

Bending  lessons  with  the  double  bridle  should  be  taken 
up  according  to  the  following  schedule: 

1.  With  the  snaffle  hit:  Flexing  the  jaw  by  the  use  of 
one  rein. 

Setting  the  head  to  the  right  and  to  the  left    (as  in  a 
change  of  direction). 

2.  With  both  snaffle  and  curb  bits:  Lateral  flexion  by 
the  use  of  both  right  reins.      (XII). 

Lateral  flexion  by  the  use  of  both  left  reins. 
Setting  the  head  by  the  use  of  both  right  reins. 

Setting  the  head  by  the  use  of  both  left  reins. 

***** 

3.  With  the  curb  bit:  Flexing  the  jaw  by  use  of  one 
curb  rein. 

Flexing  the  jaw  by  the  use  of  both  curb  reins.     (Direct 
flexion). 

The  7nost  important  bendings  are:     1.    Setting  the  head 
by  use  of  one  snaffle  rein. 

2.     Direct  flexion  (of  the  jaw)  by  use  of  both  curb  reins. 
Dismounted  Bending  Lessons.     Dismounted  bending  lessons 
should  be  the  exception.     If  obliged  to  resort  to  them,  they 
should  be  curtailed  to  the  two  following: 

1.  Flexing  the  jaw,  executed  by  taking  one  or  both 
snaffle  reins  in  the  hand  in  front  and  one  or  both  curb  reins 
in  the  hand  in  rear. 

2.  Raising  the  head  by  the  use  of  the  snaffle.  The 
trooper  stands  in  front  of  the  horse,  facing  him,    and   takes 


AND    HORSE    TRAIN1N(}  :,!» 

in  each  hand  one  of  the  snaffle  reins,  grasping'  it  ii<*ar  tin- 
ring;  the  wrists  are  gradually  raised  until  the  horse's  head 
and  neck  reach  the  desired  elevation.  The  horse  must  stand 
still  and  must  not  back;  if  he  starts  to  move  to  the  rear,  the 
whip  is  used  to  move  him  to  the  front  again. 
DEFINITIOxXS. 

In  Hand— The  horse  is  in  hand  after  he  has  completed  and 
fully  understands  the  bending  lessons  and  when  he  yields 
willingly  to  the  effects  of  the  bit. 

Lightness — Lightness  has  been  defined  in  answer  to  Ques- 
tion VI.  It  is  the  correct  balance  of  the  horse  that  obeys 
promptly  and  easily  all  impulses  given  him  by  his  rider. 

The  Set  (Le  Placer) — is  the  operation  that  places  the  cen- 
ter of  gravity  in  the  position  required  for  the  execution  of 
any  desired  movement.     (Saint  Ph/tlleJ. 

The  Gather  (Le  Ramener) — To  gather  is  nothing  more  or 
less  than  to  set  the  forehand.  When  the  horse  carries  his 
head  and  neck  well  up,  the  face  approaching  the  vertical 
and  the  jaw  flexible  he  is  said  to  be  in  the  position  of  tlu- 
gather  (or  is  gathered). 

The  Assemble  (Le  Rassembler) — The  assemble  consists  of 
the  gather  perfected  by  bringing  the  hind  legs  under.  The 
set  of  the  forehand  is  combined  with  the  set  of  the  hind 
quarters.* 

*  The  horse  can  be  gathered  at  a  halt  although  he  should  be 
taught  the  correct  carriage  of  the  head  and  neck  ata  walk, 
in  which  case  there  will  be  no  chance  of  backing. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  assemble,  the  highest  form  of  col- 
lection, can  be  obtained  only  when  the  horse  is  in  motion; 
the  horse  is  assembled  in  the  half  halt  to  be  sure,  but  this 
position  can  be  held  only  for  a  moment  before  the  horse 
moves  again. 

Saint- Phalle  says:  "The  .9r^,  as  will  be  seen,  is  inseparable 
from  the  in  hand  and  the  asscnihle". 

For  instance,  in  the  half  halt  the  horse  is  assembled;  he  is 
also  in  hand,  ready  for  any  indication  of  the  bit  and  he  is 
set  for  movement  in  any  direction.     (  VV/r  Hoard). 


XVI. 

Easing  the  Hand  on  the  Curb  Bit.  We  have  previously  dis- 
cussed the  easing  of  the  hand  on  the  snaffle  bit.  The  sup- 
pling exercise  is  the  same  when  made  on  the  curb  bit  but  in 
this  case  it  should  be  followed  by  raising  the  head  again. 

The  horse  having  yielded  the  jaw,  loosen  the  fingers  and 
continue  the  action  of  the  legs  in  order  to  push  the  horse 
gently  in  pursuit  of  his  bit.  From  the  very  beginning  of 
training,  he  has  grown  accustomed  to  lean  lightly  on  the  bit 
and  he  therefore  extends  his  neck  and  lowers  his  head  to  re" 
cover  this  customary  support. 

The  extension  of  the  neck  will  be  sufficient  and  will  be 
well  executed  whenever  the  horse,  without  increasing  or  de- 
creasing the  gait,  extends  his  nose  downward  and  forward 
to  the  level  of  the  knees  and  keeps  his  jaw  flexible. 

The  raising  of  the  head  is  effected  by  carrying  the  hands 
forward  and  pulling  upward  on  the  reins,  the  legs  still  pre- 
venting any  slowing  up. 

These  suppling  exercises  should  be  repeated  at  a  walk, 
trot  and  gallop  and  on  the  three  lines. 

Easing  the  hand  is  an  exercise  suitable  for  horses  too 
high  in  front,  with  a  high  neck,  that  is  either  upside  down 
or  ewe-necked,  and  for  those  with  weak  hind  quarters,  pre- 
disposed to  injuries.  It  should  be  used  very  sparingly  with 
horses  that  are  high  behind,  especially  if  the  withers  are 
low  and  sunken,  the  shoulders  straight,  the  neck  thin  and 
the  head  large. 

I/I/hat  should  be  Understood  by  Give  and  Take.  Action  of  the 
Fingers  on  the  Reins.  As  the  horse  should  always  be  in 
close  touch  with  the  hand  of  the  rider,  the  expression  giv^^ 
(tnd  f(fkf  has  a  (certain  significance  which  should  be  clearly 
stated . 

T(fk('  does  not  consist  in  drawing    the    hand    back    and 


NOTES   ON    K(^nT.\Tl()N  fil 

</ire  does  not  mean  carrying  the  lian.l  forward  .md  rrl<:isinu 
the  reins. 

Assuming  the  permanent  contact  wliich  should  cxit^t 
l)etween  the  horse's  mouth  and  the  rider's  hand,  fnh'  means 
to  fix  the  wrist  and  tighten  the  fingers  at  tlic  nioninit  of 
lialting  or  of  half  halting;  givf  means  to  ndax  tlic  wrist  and 
loosen  the  fingers  without  losing  touch  with  tlic  Ijorsc's 
mouth;  if  the  horse  has  heen  well  trained  touch  will  not  he 
lost  because  the  horse  will  himself  feel  for  his  rider's  iiand. 
Any  slowing  of  gait  should  therefore  he  the  result  of  the 
action  of  the  fingers  on  the  reins.  If  this  action  is  insufli- 
cient  it  must  be  reinforced  by  carrying  the  upper  part  of  the 
))ody  backward;  but  any  movement  of  the  elbows  should  be 
avoided  as  this  is  the  unfailing  symptom  of  the  unskilled 
horseman. 

Necessity  of  Frequently  Returning  to  the  Lesson  of  Going 
Straight  Ahead.  All  these  bending  lessons  made  on  the  curb 
l)it,  these  halts  and  half  halts,  only  too  often  result  in  slowing 
the  horse  and  in  diminishing  any  desire  to  go  ahead  that  he 
may  have  acquired.  (This  is  commonly  called  "steam"  and 
is  manifested  by  a  proper  voluntary  tightening  of  tlie  reins. 
The  horse  with  "no  steam"  is  voluntarily  l)ehind  the  hit. — 
The  Board).  It  is  therefore  necessary  to  resume  fre(ju<'ntly 
the  first  lesson  of  the  legs,  the  lesson  of  moving  straight 
ahead.  The  horse  should  be  attacked  vigorously  with  the 
calves,  being  careful  to  fully  loosen  the  fingers  so  that  he 
shall  have  complete  liberty  to  escape  to  the  front. 

Lesson  With  the  Spurs.  With  horses  that  hold  l»ack.  that 
are  too  cold  (phlegmatic),  or  that  do  not  respond  to  the 
legs,  the  spurs  should  be  used.  The  lesson  with  the  spurs 
does  not  occur  at  any  fixed  period  but  is  given  when  the 
occasion  presents  itself.  If  the  horse  is  behind  the  legs.' 
pat  him  at  a  trot  in  order  to  have  him  securely  in  motion  (not 
liable  to  stop)  and  then  let  him  feel  the  spurs  by  viL^on.us 
and  repeated  action  until  lie  leaps  to  the  front. 

Here  it  is  particularly  important  to  pay  atl<'iitioii  ic  the 
*  See  Question  XXVIII. 


62  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION. 

hand;  you  must  not  contradict  with  the  hand  what  you  de- 
mand with  the  legs,  but  must  let  the  reins  slip  as  much  as 
is  necessary  to  enable  the  horse  to  extend  himself  freely. 

With  certain  horses  it  is  sometimes  prudent  to  grasp 
the  pommel  of  the  saddle  when  giving  the  spur  lesson.  The 
rider  is  then  more  certain  of  not  contradicting  himself  and 
the  lesson  thus  administered  is  sure  to  be  profitable  in  the 
training  of  the  animal. 


XVII. 
Work  at  the  Trot.     Rising  to   the   Trot.     Tin-   ridrr  hhouln 
always  rise  to  the  trot  unless  the  slowness   of  tlu'   <,':iit    ren- 
ders it  impossible  or  at  any  rate  difficult. 

To  rise  to  the  trot,  the  rider  inclines  the  ui)ii«t  pari  ui  iln 
body  forward  and  takes  a  firm  grip  with  the  knees  in  order 
to  avoid  throwing  his  whole  weight  into  the  stirrups  and  in 
order  to  have  the  lower  legs  perfectly  free.  He  then  allows 
himself  to  be  raised  by  the  thrust  of  one  diagonal  pair  of 
legs,  the  right  for  example  (i.  e.  right  hind  and  left  fore), 
he  avoids  the  thrust  produced  by  the  planting  of  the  left 
diagonal  pair  and  drops  back  into  the  saddle  just  as  tin 
right  pair  is  replanted,  which  raises  him  again. 

The  rider  thus  avoids  every  other  thrust,   tires   himself 
less,  and  tires  his  horse  less. 

Necessity  of  Frequently  Alternating  the  Diagonal  Pair  from 
Which  the  Rise  Is  Made.  But  unless  he  is  careful,  he  gradu- 
ally acquires  the  habit  of  always  rising  from  the  same  pair, 
or  as  it  is  commonly  expressed,  of  trotting  on  the  same 
shoulder,  and  this  habit  has  serious  drawbacks. 

1.  The  pair  from  which  the  rider  rises  becomes  nmcli 
more  fatigued  than  the  other  because  it  raises  and  thrust;- 
forward  the  weight  of  both  horse  and  rider;  whereas  th« 
other  pair,  which  acts  while  the  rider  is  in  the  air.  lias  only 
the  weight  of  the  horse  to  thrust  forward. 

2.  If  the  rider  is  rising  from  the  right  diag(Mial  pair.  tli< 
left  diagonal  pair  acts  while  he  is  in  the  air  and  thrusts  tin- 
weight  of  the  horse  further  in  its  own  direction  than  is  pos- 
sible for  the  right  diagonal  pair  on  account  of  its  additional 
burden.  From  this  there  results,  after  a  certain  length  of 
time,  a  disagreeable  irregularity  in  the  gait  since  on. 
shoulder  gains  more  ground  than  the  other. 

The  results  explained  in  the  second  remark  above,  ina> 

(63) 


64  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION 

be  practically  utilized.  If  the  rider  discovers  that  his  horse 
trots  unevenly  and  advances  one  shoulder  more  than  the 
other,  he  should  rise  on  the  shoulder  that  gains  less  ground. 

These  results  may  also  be  utilized  to  correct  the  fault 
of  a  horse  always  leading  with  the  same  foot  at  a  gallop. 
Suppose  for  instance,  a  horse  that  always  gallops  on  the 
right  foot:  to  lead  with  the  right  foot  the  horse  sets  the 
right  shoulder  in  advance  of  the  left.  If  therefore  the  rider 
persists,  for  a  certain  length  of  time,  in  rising  from  the  left 
diagonal  pair,  the  left  shoulder,  as  has  been  explained  above, 
will  be  pushed  further  forward  than  the  right  and  the  horse 
will  be  in  a  position  at  a  trot  that  will  induce  him  to  lead 
with  the  left  foot  at  a  gallop. 

From  the  preceding  explanations  it  is  evident  that  the 
rider  should  know  how  to  trot  his  horse  on  either  shoulder 
and  to  change  shoulders  without  changing  gait  if  he  wishes 
to  develop  the  animal's  efficiencj^  equally  and  have  him 
always  perfectly  straight. 

The  only  exception  is  when  the  legs  of  one  diagonal 
pair  have  been  injured  and  they  can  be  saved  by  rising  from 
the  other. 

Lengthening  and  Shortening  the  Gait  at  a  Wall(  and  Trot. 
Lengthening  and  shortening  of  gaits  must  be  executed  grad- 
ually and  by  the  steady  use  of  the  aids.  The  lowering  of 
the  head  and  the  extending  of  the  neck  assist  in  producing 
a  lengthened  gait.  The  raising  of  the  head  and  curving  of 
the  crest  favor  a  shortening  of  the  gait. 

In  all  changes  of  gait  the  rider  must  accomodate  his 
.<eat  to  the  movements  of  the  horse.  The  lengthening  of 
the  trot  should  be  moderate  and  of  short  duration.  By  de- 
manding more  than  a  horse  is  equal  to,  an  irregular  gait 
will  soon  be  developed  and  this  will  be  difficult  to  correct 
later. 


XVIII. 

Work  at  the  Slow  Trot,  hi  one  of  tlic  lirsl  answer-  •.  • 
mentioned  the  utility  of  the  trot  and  explained  the  advan- 
tages in  training  resulting  from  the  use  of  this  gait.  We 
can  only  repeat  here  what  we  have  said  })ef(ne:  tlie  slow 
trot  especially  gives  excellent  results  in  tlie  last  stages  oj 
training.  Suppling  exercises  for  the  haunches,  slioulders  and 
jaw,  when  executed  at  this  gait  produce  rapid  progress  in 
the  horse;  they  increase  his  strength  and  suppleness  }»y 
forcing  him  to  acquire  and  preserve  his  balance. 

Small  Circles.  Small  circles  lower  the  horse's  en )up;  tin 
inside  hock  is  necessarily  brought  under  and  the  outside 
shoulder  is  developed  because  it  has  a  greater  distance  to 
travel.  Moreover,  this  work  on  a  restricted  circle  enables 
the  rider  to  set  a  horse  that  experiences  difficulty  in  liendin^' 
the  body  and  it  aids  in  breaking  up  the  contraction  of  the 
horse  that  pulls  too  hard  on  the  hand. 

Small  circles  should  be  rarely  used  with  horses  that 
hang  back  for  it  is  to  be  noted  that  on  the  circle  they  an 
especially  prone  to  get  behind  the  bit.  Nor  should  turns  l»< 
used  too  much  with  young  horses  with  blemished  or  worn 
out  hocks.  As  for  the  aids  to  be  used,  it  depends  upon 
whether  the  horse  has  a  tendency  to  let  the  haunches  swing 
out  or  the  reverse— to  let  them  drag  inside.  In  the  rtrst  case 
the  inside  rein  and  the  outside  leg  should  predominate;  in 
the  second  case  the  important  aids  will  be  the  inside  rein 
and  leg. 

Serpentines.  Serpentines  produce  about  the  same  results 
as  small  circles  but  in  addition  they  accustom  the  horse  t«> 
pass  from  one  set  (position)  to  the  other,  easily  and  irj,il> 
advancing. 

Two  Track  Work.  Two  track  work  at  a  slow  tn)t  on  ili. 
diagonal  of  the  hall  is  another  method  of  suppling  the  hind 

(65) 


66  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

quarters  and  bringing  them  tinder;  it  is  an  excellent  prelim- 
inary to  the  gallop  lead. 

Halts,  Half -Halts  and  Backing.  When  the  horse  moves 
freely  and  begins  to  be  balanced  and  regular  in  both  gaits, 
the  walk  and  trot,  we  must  take  up  the  elements  of  the  as- 
semble, which  is  the  gather  perfected  by  bringing  the  hind 
legs  under. 

We  begin  by  numerous  halts,  the  action  of  the  legs 
always  preceding  the  action  of  the  hand,  and  by  this  means 
alone  the  hind  legs  are  gradually  brought  towards  the  cen- 
ter. If  at  the  moment  of  halting  the  horse  is  contracted 
and  endeavors  to  bore  on  the  hand,  the  rider  must  keep  up 
his  action  and  exact  a  step  or  two  backward  in  order  to 
overcome  all  resistance.  He  must  then  promptly  move  the 
horse  to  the  front  again  to  avoid  sitting  down  on  the 
haunches. 

Half-halts  are  made  according  to  the  same  principles 
l)ut  the  opposition  of  the  hand  is  less  marked  than  in  halts. 
If  the  horse  proves  to  be  obedient,  loosen  the  fingers  and 
<^xtend  him;  if,  on  the  contrary,  he  resists  the  half-halt, 
keep  up  the  action  of  the  aids  to  the  halt  or  even  to  back- 
ing. 


XIX. 

WORK  AT  TMK  (;ALL()I>. 
Progressive  Method  of  Perfecting  the  Gallop  Lead  on  Either  Foot. 

1.  Taking  up  the  Gallop  by  Incrf^asnuj  the  (lait  {mm  fhr 
Trot.  In  Question  XIII  we  explained  how.  in  tlx-  rarly 
stages  of  training,  the  gallop  should  be  exacted  by  increaH- 
ing  the  gait  from  the  trot.  This  early  lesson,  repeated  every 
day,  will  have  accustomed  the  horse  to  some  extent  to  the 
gallop  and  he  will  take  up  the  gait  readily  to  the  right  and 
to  the  left,  on  the  circle  or  at  the  corner,  without  the  neces- 
sity of  prolonged  pushing  from  the  trot. 

2.  Taking  tlie  Gallop  from  the  Slow  Trot  hy  Lateral 
Effect.  We  now  reach  the  second  step.  This  new  lesson 
should  still  be  assisted  by  a  somewhat  restricted  circular 
movement  and  the  rider  will  exact  a  gallop  only  at  the  end 
of  a  circle  or  at  the  corner. 

The  difficulty  of  execution  will  then  be  slightly  in- 
creased by  requiring  the  same  leads  on  a  circle  of  greater 
radius  or  at  the  end  of  a  diagonal  of  a  half  turn  or  of  the 
diagonal  of  the  change  of  hands. 

3.  Taking  the  Gallop  from  the  Slow  Trot  hy  IHiKjotial 
Effect.  The  series  of  leads  made  by  lateral  effect  on  small 
circles,  circles  and  at  the  end  of  ol)lique  lines  will  again  be 
exacted  by  diagonal  effect  and  we  thus  gradually  reacli  the 
gallop  lead  on  a  straight  line,  being  careful  to  always  divitlr 
the  movement  into  two  parts:  first  the  set  and  then  the  im- 
pulse that  produces  the  gallop.  Thus,  for  the  gallop  lead 
with  the  right  foot: 

a.  Collect  the  horse  to  the  right  and  pull  diagonally 
on  the  right  rein  in  order  to  restrain  the  left  shoulder  and 
to  free  the  right  shoulder;  carry  the  body  to  the  rear, 
throwing    more   weight    on   the   left    buttock:   dose  tli«'    I»*ft 

(H7) 


68  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION. 

leg  to  make  the  haunches    jdeld    to  the  right  and  to  bring 
the  right  hind  leg  in  advance. 

h.  The  horse  having  been  set  in  this  manner,  close  the 
right  leg  in  order  to  add  its  effect  to  that  of  the  left  leg  and 
to  thus  obtain,  by  the  action  of  both  legs,  the  forward  im- 
pulse necessary  to  bring  about  the  gallop. 

4.  Tfd'ing  the  Gallop  from  the  Wall'.  A  horse  that  takes 
the  gallop  readily  from  the  slow  trot  will  also  take  this  gait 
without  difficulty  from  the  walk.  The  method  of  procedure 
is  the  same;  that  is,  first  set  the  horse  and  then  push  him 
into  the  gallop. 

With  horses  that  hesitate  or  fret,  this  last  lesson  should 
be  subdivided  by  passing  through  the  trot;  that  is  to  say,  the 
horse  will  be  set  for  the  gallop  while  at  a  walk,  from  this  set 
he  will  be  urged  into  the  trot  and  from  the  trot  into  the  gal- 
lop. Little  by  little  this  intermediate  trot  will  diminish  in 
duration  until  the  horse  takes  the  gallop  immediately  from 
the  walk. 

In  this  progressive  method  of  obtaining  the  gallop  lead 
on  either  foot,  we  began  by  increasing  the  gait  from  the  trot 
and  finished  by  taking  the  gallop  from  the  walk  because  we 
are  convinced  that  taking  the  gallop  is  easier  in  proportion 
to  the  speed  of  advancing.  In  our  opinion,  taking  the  gal- 
lop from  the  walk  is  the  most  difficult  exercise  and  if  insist- 
ed upon  too  early  will  result  in  horses  that  back  or  stand 
and  resist.  Our  method  appears,  perhaps,  rather  long,  but 
it  has  the  advantage  of  producing  horses  that  act  smoothly, 
that  take  the  gallop  without  fretting  and  without  losing 
touch  with  the  rider's  hand. 


XX. 

Where  Should  the  Training  of  the   Troop  Horse  Stop?      11  if 

training  of  the  troop  horse  should  stop  after  the  j^allop  lead 
has  been  included.  It  is  useless,  or  rather  inipossihle  to 
proceed  further  with  the  material  availahle.  A  horse  for 
the  ranks,  that  goes  straight  and  free  jit  all  gaits,  that  is 
easily  handled  in  any  direction  and  that  takes  tlie  gallop 
lead  readily  on  either  foot,  is  in  condition  to  satisfy  all 
demands  imposed  in  the  service.  But  this  elementary 
education  is  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  requirements  of  an 
officer,  who  should  always  have  a  perfectly  trained  horse. 
It  is  therefore  important  to  point  out,  what  movements  will 
perfect  and  complete  the  animal's  schooling. 

The  False  Gallop.  Galloping  false  is  used  as  a  means  ot 
lowering  the  croup,  of  balancing  the  horse  and  holding  him 
in  his  gallop.  There  are  no  special  instructions  about  lead- 
ing with  the' outside  foot;  the  only  difficulty  is  to  pass  the 
corners  without  the  horse  becoming  disunited.  To  avoid 
this,  the  haunches  must  be  strongly  supported  by  the  inside 
leg  and  the  horse  must  be  held  set  by  the  outside  rein  (sup- 
l)orting  rein)  in  order  to  free  the  shoulder  on  that  side  and 
keep  it  in  the  lead.  In  making  a  change  of  direction  when 
galloping  false,  the  hands  should  be  slightly  lowered  (eased), 
so  that  the  movements  of  the  hind  quarters  will  not  be 
hampered  and  checked.  (It  is  also  most  important  to 
forcibly  keep  up' the  gait.  If  allowed  to  slow  up,  the  h<»rse 
is  almost  certain  to  escape  from  the  aids  and  change  the 
lead.     The  Board.) 

Alternating  the  Gallop  at  Short  Intervals.  The  gallop  leads 
comprise  all  the  essential  princii)les  of  training:  setting  the 
head,  the  neck,  the  shoulders,  and  the  haunches,  bringing 
the  hind  legs  under  and  moving  to  the  front.  This  very 
complexity  shows  their    importance.      It    will    then-fore    be 


70  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

readily  understood  that  gallop  leads,  alternated  at  short  in- 
tervals, will  rapidly  perfect  the  young  horse's  training  and, 
moreover,  that  this  is  the  best  method  of  paving  the  way 
for  the  lesson  of  change  of  lead. 

Change  of  Lead.  Change  of  lead  is  nothing  more  than 
exacting  the  gallop  lead  when  the  horse  is  at  the  gallop.  It 
is  the  most  difficult  of  leads  and  must  not  be  attempted  un- 
til the  horse  is  thoroughly  confirmed  in  the  gallop  lead  from 
the  trot  and  walk.  If  the  lesson  of  change  of  lead  is  given 
too  soon  or  if  the  rider  is  too  exacting  at  first,  the  horse  will 
slow  up  and  become  uncertain  in  gait.  He  will  learn  the 
trick  of  holding  back  and  especially  of  galloping  disunited; 
hence,  all  the  benefit  of  preceding  lessons  will  be  lost. 

To  bring  the  horse  up  to  the  change  of  lead,  gradually 
decrease  the  intervals  between  the  alternate  leads  exacted 
from  the  slow  trot.  The  set  of  the  horse  must  be  changed 
before  he  returns  to  the  trot.  Thus,  for  instance,  if  the 
horse  is  galloping  right,  set  him  with  the  left  diagonal  effect 
(right  leg  and  left  supporting  rein).  The  change  of  set 
causes  the  horse  to  balance  himself  and  brings  him  down  to 
the  trot  (where  he  feels  steadier)  but,  if  the  lower  aids  con- 
tinue to  force  the  gait  the  horse  will  take  the  gallop  with 
the  left  lead. 

This  is  the  analysis  of  the  change  of  lead.  Little  by 
little  the  length  of  time  of  the  intermediate  trot  is  diminish- 
ed until  the  change  of  lead  in  the  air  is  obtained. 

The  lesson  of  change  of  lead  can  be  given  on  the  track 
of  the  riding  hall  or  on  a  circle.  At  first  it  is  advantageous 
to  lead  off  with  the  outside  foot  and  then  attempt  the  change 
of  lead  to  the  inside  foot.  This  plan  is  especially  applic- 
able to  work  on  a  circle. 

In  all  this  work,  the  thing  to  be  avoided  is  a  desire  to 
to  progress  too  rapidly.  If  the  horse  resists,  you  must  not 
be  bull-headed;  you  must  begin  again  and  take  up  the 
analytical  parts  of  the  movement,  going  back  to  the  simple 
gallop  leads.  By  insisting  too  strongly  you  teach  the  horse 
to  resist  the  reins  and  legs   and   destroy  what   lightness  he 


AND    HOKSK    THA1N1N(J  71 

may  have  acquired.  Moreover,  the  horyc's  n'sistancr  provch 
that  you  are  attempting  the  change  of  lead  too  soon  and 
that  he  is  not  yet  up  to  it. 

Continuation  of  Training.  Work  at  the  Slow  Trot  Gallop 
Exercises.  Review  the  instructions  given  und<r  (^ucstii.u 
XVIII  on  what  concerns  the  trot  and  what  lias  just  heen 
said  about  work  at  a  gallop.  Work  at  the  slow  trot  on  tin 
three  lines  will  develop  the  strength  and  suppleness  of  tin 
horse;  alternating  gallop  leads  with  short  intervals,  exacte(i 
from  the  trot,  the  walk,  the  halt  and  when  backing,  wil' 
finally  perfect  his  balance  and  obedience;  he  will  then  \n 
well  trained. 

But  this  work  must  not  be  abused.  Riding  hall  wor.k 
should  be  of  short  duration.  The  horse  should  be  often 
taken  out,  galloped  over  good  ground  and  jumped  over  oh 
stacles.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  desirable  quali- 
ties in  an  officer's  mount  are  that  he  shall  be  perfectly  will- 
ing, go  perfectly  straight,  and  remain  perfectly  calm,  all 
of  which  qualities  would  disappear  if  he  were  kept  constantly 
shut  up  in  a  riding  hall,  working  at  slow  and  shortened 
gaits. 


XXI. 

HOW  YOUNG  HORSES  ARE  TAUGHT  TO  JUMP. 

Jumping  I/If  hen  at  Liberty.  Young  horses  may  be  taught  to 
jump  when  at  hberty  or  on  the  longe. 

Jumping  at  hberty  is  ordinarily  practised  in  a  straight 
chute,  in  which  are  placed  several  obstacles — at  least  one 
ditch  and  one  bar.  The  horse  is  led  quietly  to  one  end  of 
the  chute  and  caught  at  the  other  end  by  men  who  stop  him 
without  frightening  him  and  then  offer  him  oats  as  a  reward. 
Near  each  obstacle  is  stationed  a  man  with  a  longeing  whip 
ready  to  urge  horses  that  hold  back  and  hesitate;  but  the 
use  of  the  whip  should  not  be  abused  as  it  bewilders  the 
animals  and  after  a  few  lessons  is  ordinarily  no .  longer  re- 
quired. 

Jumping  at  liberty  produces  horses  keen  and  straight 
on  their  jumps.  The  drawback  is  that  the  animals  jump 
too  quickly  and  acquire  only  a  certain  amount  of  skill;  for, 
instead  of  observing  the  obstacles  that  they  are  taking,  they 
have  only  one  idea  and  that  is  to  get  out  of  the  chute.  The 
system  is  especially  suitable  to  train  horses  for  steeplechas- 
ing. 

If  the  jumps  in  the  chute  are  high,  it  will  be  better  not 
to  send  young  horses  through  until  after  they  have  had  sev- 
eral preliminary  lessons  on  the  longe. 

Jumping  on  the  Longe.  Jumping  on  the  longe  is  a  perfect 
lesson  to  train  a  horse  for  obstacles.  Drilled  by  this 
method,  the  horse  is  cool  and  clever  and  forms  the  habit  of 
observing  the  obstacle.  It  is  the  best  system  for  service 
mounts  and  hunters. 

This  lesson  may  be  given  in  the  hall  or  in  the  open  and 
in  the  following  manner: 

High  Jumps.  Place  a  bar  on  the  ground.  Holding  the 
longe  in  one  hand  and  the  snaffle   reins   in  the   other,    lead 

(72) 


NOTKS    ON    Kl^riTATlON  7H 

the  horse  and  step  over  the  har  with  him  several  tiin.s  in 
succession  in  both  din^etions.  Wlicn  the  hm-sr  n.i  lun-jir 
shows  hesitation,  move  away  from  liim  a  iitth'.  put  liim  mi 
a  circle  and  make  him  cross  the  har  on  tlie  l(»nL'r.  I.at.r 
the  bar  is  gradually  raised. 

To  give  the  lesson  properly,  it  is  necensary: 

1.  To  let  the  horse  assume,  at  a  short  distan<'e  fn.m  tli. 
bar,  whatever  gait  suits  him,  and  immediately  aft.-r  lie 
jumps  to  make  him  resume  the  original  gait  of  the  eircle. 

2.  To  advance  a  step  or  two  toward  the  ()})sta('l«'  and  to 
open  the  fingers,  so  that  the  longe  may  slij)  thnui^di  tin 
hand  while  the  horse  is  approaching  his  jump  and  will  not 
be  too  taut  when  he  leaps;  he  must  never  be  liamixTed  }>ut 
must  have  complete  liberty. 

3.  To  take  up  the  horse  on  the  longe  again  f/rnfh/.  re- 
turn him  to  the  circle  and  to  the  original  gait. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  practice  the  horse  in  jumping  on 
the  longe  at  a  walk  before  trying  him  at  the  trot  and  gallop. 
At  the  walk  the  horse  can  best  estimate  the  jump  and  the 
amount  of  effort  necessary  to  clear  it;  at  the  walk  he  also 
learns  how  best  to  assist  himself  with  his  head  and  neck. 
Jumping  at  the  other  gaits  then  becomes  less  ditlieult. 

Broad  Jumps.  The  method  of  procedure  and  the  precau- 
tions to  be  taken  are  the  same  as  for  high  jumps,  liegin 
with  very  easy  ditches  and  progress  to  broader  and  more 
difficult  ones.  The  first  time  do  not  prevent  the  liorse  fnun 
stopping  to  examine  the  ditch.  He  will  feel  the  ground, 
bring  up  his  hind  legs  little  by  little,  and  after  much  hesi- 
tation will  finally  clear  the  ditch.  This  feeling  for  firm 
ground  is  allowed  on  the  first  trials  only,  and  as  soon  as  the 
first  apprehension  has  disappeared,  any  halting  in  front  ot 
the  obstacle  must  be  energetically  corrected.  Young  horses 
are  much  more  disposed  to  hesitate  at  breadth  than  lieight. 

Jumping  Mounted.  After  horses  have  l^een  traine.l  in 
jumping  at  liberty  and  on  the  longe,  they  are  made  to  jump 
mounted. 

At  first  they  must  be  in  the  snafHe  liridle.     .\l\viv<  1..  - 


74  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION 

gin  with  insignificant  obstacles.  In  the  riding  hall,  place 
the  bar  on  the  ground  and  afterwards  raise  it  gradually  ac- 
cording to  the  confidence  shown  by  men  and  horses.  Out 
of  doors,  start  with  very  easy  jumps  and  work  up  gradually 
to  the  class  of  obstacles  that  every  service  mount  should 
clear. 


XXII. 

To  Accustom  Young  Horses  to  the  Saber.  For  thr  lirnt  f<-w 
days  the  saber  should  be  worn  on  tlie  belt  and  not  slung  to 
the  saddle.  In  this  manner  the  saber  may  more  easily  be 
held  away  from  the  horse,  in  case  he  becomes  too  excited, 
and  any  dangerous  struggles  resulting  from  prolonged  con- 
tact may  be  avoided.  With  very  nervous  horses,  the  saber, 
instead  of  being  attached  to  the  belt,  may  be  held  in  the 
hand  and  the  lesson  can  then  be  easily  continued  or  stopped 
at  will. 

The  first  lesson  should  be  given  in  the  middle  of  the 
period  of  work  when  the  horse's  nervousness  has  already 
been  worn  off. 

The  saber  is  next  slung  to  the  saddle;  as  soon  as  the 
horse  has  become  accustomed  to  it,  the  different  movements 
of  the  saber  exercise  should  be  executed  until  absolute  in- 
difference is  obtained. 

To  Accustom  Horses  to  Fire-Arms  and  J\loises.  Several 
methods  are  used.  One  of  the  best  is  to  place  the  mounted 
troopers  on  a  large  circle;  dismounted  men  are  placed  in  the 
center,  some  with  revolvers,  flags  and  trumpets,  others  with 
boxes  or  sieves  of  oats.  At  a  given  signal  the  noises  cease 
and  the  horses  are  turned  to  the  center  of  the  circle  where 
the  oats  are  offered  to  them. 

This  same  exercise  is  repeated  on  circles  of  smaller 
radius  and  when  the  horses  show  no  further  anxiety,  they 
are  turned  into  the  center  and  fed  oats  while  the  noises  con- 
tinue. 

Another  plan  is  to  place  in  line  the  dismounted  men 
with  the  revolvers,  flags  and  trumpets  and  have  them  niareb 
around  the  drill  ground.  The  young  horses,  also  in  line, 
follow  them  about,  at  first  at  a  distance,  gradually  ai)prna(li- 
ing  and  finally  eating  their  oats  in  the  ranks. 


76  NOTES    ON    EQUITATION 

However  it  is  not  necessary  to  enter  into  minute  des- 
criptions of  details.  It  will  suffice  if  the  following  caution 
is  observed: 

Avoid  a  struggle  by  starting  at  a  distance  from  the  dis- 
mounted men  and  do  not  insist  brutally  on  the  occasion  of 
a  horse's  first  fright. 

Swimming  Exercises.  Swimming  exercises  are  difficult  to 
carry  out  and  the  results  obtained  are  not  always  commen" 
surate  with  the  danger  to  which  the  men  are  exposed. 

If,  however,  the  horses  must  be  made  to  swim,  the  fol- 
lowing schedule  should  be  followed: 

1.  Make  the  horse  swim,  holding  him  at  the  end  of  a 
longe  attached  to  the  halter.  In  this  way  you  will  be  more 
certain  to  avoid  any  jerks  that  would  cause  him  to  make 
false  movements.  This  remark  is  very  important  for  if  a 
horse  in  the  water  is  brought  up  short  he  will  splash  in  his 
struggles  and  may  easily  lose  his  head  completely. 

2.  After  the  horses  exhibit  a  certain  amount  of  cojidence, 
they  should  be  mounted,  bareback  and  in  snaffle  bridle,  by 
men  who  are  excellent  swimmers  and  then  taken  across  a 
rather  narrow  stream.  In  order  to  have  this  exercise  carried 
out  under  favorable  conditions,  the  banks  of  the  stream 
should  have  a  gentle  slope  so  that  the  horse  can  enter  the 
water  gradually,  get  out  without  difficulty  and  not  be  forced 
to  swim  more  than  a  few  yards. 

3.  The  same  exercise  is  repeated  once  or  twice  only, 
with  the  horses  saddled  and  bridled. 


XXI II. 
VARIOUS  FAULTS  OF  SADDLK   iloKSKS. 

The  Hot  Headed  Horse.  IJidr  liim  alone,  calm  him  l.y 
the  voice  and  by  patting  and  pull  as  little  as  possilde  on 
the  reins.  Bring  down  the  head  and  neck  l.y  protracted 
periods  of  trotting.  Then  execute  in  the  hall  serpentinen 
and  figures  of  eight  to  accustom  the  horse  to  sul)init  to  the 
pressure  of  the  legs  and  to  obey  the  aids  readily. 

The  Jigging  Horse.  Begin  by  giving  the  leg  lesson  until 
the  horse  moves  freely  to  the  front.  A\'hen  In-  is  well  up  on 
the  bit,  make  him  half  lower  the  head,  keeping  the  reins 
taut  but  following  the  balancing  of  the  head  and  neck. 
Whenever  the  horse  resumes  the  trot,  push  him  sharply  with 
the  legs  and  then,  carrying  the  body  back,  exact  a  half  halt 
to  bring  him  down  to  the  walk. 

The  Horse  that  Gallops  When  He  Should  Trot.  It  is  al- 
most always  because  he  holds  back  or  because  tiie  hind 
quarters  are  overloaded  that  a  horse,  even  a  hot  headed  one, 
makes  trouble  at  the  trot.  In  either  case,  make  him  extend 
his  neck  and  every  time  he  rises  to  the  gallop  push  him 
with  the  legs,  but  do  not  pull  on  the  reins.  Then  carry  the 
body  back,  pulling  gently  on  the  reins  and,  by  means  of  the 
legs,  holding  the  horse's  haunches  perfectly  straight.  Loosen 
the  fingers  at  the  first  strides  of  the  trot  and  ke<'p  the  body 
erect  with  the  legs  firmly  set. 

The  Puller.  Being  at  a  walk,  execute  half  halts  with 
lateral  effects;  when  the  horse  has  yielded.  Jet  him  straight- 
en himself  again  and  resume  the  original  gait.  Repeat  this 
same  lesson,  first  at  a  slow  trot  and  then  at  the  regulation 
trot.  In  this  way  the  puller's  rigidity  is  broken  up.  he  is 
forced  to  bend  and  to  bring  his  hind  legs  under. 

Work  at  a  slow  trot  on  small    circles,    serpentines   and 
diagonals,  halts  and  half  halts,  make  up  an  excellent  scIumI- 

(77) 


78  NOTES   OX   EQUITATION. 

ule  of  exercises  for  the  horse  with  too  much  weight  on  his 
shoulders  and  that  pulls  too  much  on  the  hand. 

The  Star  Gazer.  (The  horse  that  pokes  his  nose  out).  A 
horse  with  this  fault  has  a  rigid  jaw  and  holds  his  head  high, 
approaching  the  horizontal.  A  bad  neck  conformation  in- 
duces this  fault  but  it  generally  results  from  bad  riding,  the 
horse  being  afraid  of  the  hands. 

To  correct  this  fault,  set  the  hand,  that  is  to  say  hold 
it  stationary  above  the  pommel  of  the  saddle,  the  reins  re- 
maining taut;  close  the  legs  to  push  the  horse  up  to  the  bit 
and  tighten  the  fingers  on  the  reins  until  the  horse  lowers 
his  head  slightly;  loosen  the  fingers  immediately  and  slack- 
en the  reins.  Begin  again  and  continue  the  lesson  until  the 
horse  yields  at  the  slightest  pressure  of  the  fingers  and  un- 
derstands thoroughly  that  the  hand  is  severe  when  he  pokes 
out  his  nose  but  relaxes  completely  as  soon  as  he  sets  his 
head  properly. 

The  Horse  that  Fights  the  Bit  (throws  his  head).  This 
fault  is  found  only  in  the  horse  that  holds  back  because,  in 
order  to  make  the  movement  of  the  head,  he  must  diminish 
the  gait  slightly. 

To  correct  the  fault,  it  is  not  wise  to  use  the  hand  only, 
as  is  frequently  done,  because  any  effect  of  the  hands  tends 
to  a  further  decrease  of  gait.  The  most  rational  and  at  the 
same  time  the  most  certain  method  is  as  follows: 

Make  the  horse  move  freely  and  push  him  energetically 
•with  the  legs  at  the  very  moment  that  you  feel  that  he  is 
about  to  throw  his  head;  at  the  same  time  loosen  the  fingers 
to  allow  the  neck  to  be  extended  and  the  head  lowered.  If 
this  plan  is  not  sufficient,  hold  one  rein  taut  and  set  the 
hand  that  holds  it.  This  method  is  effective  because  the 
head  movements  can  be  made  only  side-wise  and  become 
very  painful. 

The  Horse  that  Lowers  His  Head  Against  His  Chest.  It 
is  hard  work  to  correct  this  fault  and  much  more  difficult  to 
raise  the  head  than  to  lower  it.  To  raise  the  head,  begin 
by  extending  the  neck  in  order  to  open  the   angle   it  makes 


AND    HORSK    THA1X1N<;  7«| 

with  the  head.  When  the  neek  is  well  .'xtcndcd  us.-  th. 
snaffle  reins  to  gradually  raise  the  head,  irnlrhiiitj  r,infn/h, 
that  the  horse  keeps  his  muzzle  to  the  front.  The  upward 
pull  of  the  snaffle  reins  must  he  felt  at  the  (-ornrrs  nf  thr 
lips;  the  legs  must  act  vigorougly  to  prevent  any  slowing  of 
the  gait.  Exact  little  at  first  and  ease  the  hand  at  H(M>n  as 
the  horse  raises  his  head  slightly  and  yields  his  jaw.  (Jivr 
this  lesson  several  times  each  ride  and  at  all  traits  until  th« 
horse  holds  his  head  at  a  proper  height  whencvr-r  the  snaflh 
reins  are  tightened  and  the  legs  closed. 

Dismounted  bending  lessons  also  give  good  results. 
The  trooper  stands  facing  the  horse,  and  taking  one  snaffh 
rein  in  each  hand  steadily  raises  his  hands  until  th*^  hors* 
lifts  the  head  without  backing. 

The  Horse  that  Rears.  This  fault  begins  with  hahin^- 
and  squatting.  Hence  the  first  thing  to  do.  is  to  prevent 
this  backward  movement  by  a  counter  attack,  tliat  is.  })y  ai< 
attack  that  will  produce  a  movement  to  the  front  and  that 
will  throw  weight  on  the  forehand. 

If  the  horse  resists  the  forward  movement,  turn  him  on 
the  spot  so  as  to  disorganize  the  forces  necessary  in  rearing. 
When  the  haunches  move  laterally,  no  part  of  the  horse  car 
be  contracted  and  he  is  therefore  prevented  from  throwing' 
the  weight  on  his  hind  quarters. 

The  Kicker.  If  a  horse  has  the  bad  habit  of  kicking,  us. 
the  snaffle  bit  to  prevent  his  lowering  the  head  and  at  tin 
same  time  push  him  vigorously  with  the  legs. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  always  hold  up  a  kicker's  head;  it 
frequently  happens  that  kicking  is  caused  by  some  pain  ii 
the  back  or  hocks  and  if  so,  raising  the  animal's  head  wil' 
merely  increase  his  irritability  and  incite  resistance. 


XXIV. 

^  *  ^  ¥^  ^ 

Requirements  of  a  Good  Saddle.  A  good  saddle  should 
satisfactorily  meet  the  following  requirements: 

1.  The  padding  should  be  done  in  a  way  to  secure  per- 
fect balance  of  the  saddle.  Too  high  behind,  the  saddle 
will  throw  the  whole  weight  of  the  rider  into  the  stirrups. 
Too  high  in  front,  it  will  throw  him  back  and  diminish  the 
grip  of  the  thighs  and  prevent  proper  set  of  the  knees. 

2.  The  pommel  arch  should  be  wide  enough  to  allow 
the  saddle  to  be  used  on  nearly  all  horses  and  to  be  set  far 
enough  back. 

3.  The  seat  should  not  be  too  flat  and  the  rider  should 
not  feel  the  outer  edges  of  the  bars  of  the  tree  under  his 
thighs. 

4.  The  straps  for  the  girth  should  be  set  well  forward.  If 
the  line  of  traction  of  the  girth  were  too  far  to  the  rear,  the 
saddle  would  rock  and,  rising  in  front,  would  work  up  toward 
the  withers. 

How  a  Horse  Should  be  Saddled.  The  saddle  should  be 
placed  far  enough  back  but  it  is  impossible  to  give  any  fixed 
rule.  Its  proper  place  depends  upon  the  conformation  of 
the  horse.  A  horse  with  a  good  back  and  a  well  marked 
girth  place  is  easy  to  saddle;  it  is  the  reverse  in  the  case  of 
one  with  short  ribs  or  big  bellj'  or  hollow  shoulders. 

The  matter  of  saddling,  although  often  neglected,  is  of 
great  importance.  Everything  in  riding  hinges  on  balance 
and  balance  will  be  handicapped  from  the  start  if  the  rider 
is  seated  too  close  to  the  withers  and  is  unduly  overloading 
the  forehand. 


(«0) 


XXV. 
Holding  the  Snaffle  Reins.  W'lun  the  horse  is  rid.l.n  in  tin- 
snaffle  bridle,  the  rider  takes  one  rein  in  eacli  hand,  "thr 
reins  coming  in  on  the  under  side  of  the  little  finger,  and 
coming  out  over  the  second  joint  of  the  forefinj^^er,  nn  which 
the  thumb  firmly  holds  the  rein;  the  other  fingers  el()s<'d  on 
the  reins,  nails  toward  the  body.  «  ♦  •  Hands 
about  six  inches  apart,  on  a  level  with  the  elbows,  backs 
straight  up  and  down  and  outward".  (U.  S.  Cavalry  D.  W.. 
Par.  294). 

With  the  double  snaffle,  the  rider  takes  two  reins  in 
each  hand.  The  reins  of  the  lower  snaffle  bit  (correspond- 
ing to  the  curb  bit)  pass  between  the  third  and  little  finger; 
the  reins  of  the  upper  snaffle  bit  pass  under  the  little  finger 
and  both  reins  are  held  upon  the  forefinger  by  the  thumb  as 

explained  above. 

***** 

Holding  the  Double  Bridle  Reins.  With  horses  that  i)ull 
hard  and  more  especially  with  horses  that  struggle  or  fight, 
it  is  a  distinct  advantage  to  hold  the  reins  in  English 
fashion,  that  is,  with  two  reins  in  each    hand    as    described 

above  for  the  double  snaffle.* 

*  To  take  the  double  bridle  reins  in  one  hand  ( the  left  •  turn 
the  right  wrist  to  the  left  until  the  back  of  the  right  hand 
is  up;  move  the  right  hand  to  the  left  and  insert  the  hcc- 
ond  finger  of  the  left  hand  between  the  two  reins  (right 
snaffle  rein  uppermost).  All  four  reins  are  held  upon  the 
second  joint  of  the  forefinger  by  the  thumb. 

To  pass  the  reins  from  the  left  hand  to  the  right  hand;  turn 
over  the  back  of  the  left  hand  to  the  right  and  insert  the 
extended  fingers  of  the  right  hand  between  the  reins 
in  such  a  manner  that  there  will  be  a  rein  aiiorr  each 
finger  (left  snaffle  rein  uppermost),  the  four  reins  coming 
out  under  the  little  finger  instead  of  above  the  forefinger. 

If  the  hands  are  habitually  held  back  up,  as  is  frequently 
done,  the  passing  of  the  four  reins  from  one  hand  to  the 
other  is  much  simplified.     (  77/ r  /loarf/ ). 

(81) 


(S2  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

Handling  the  Reins.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  accustom 
riders  to  handle  the  reins  skilfully. 

All  work  on  the  reins  must  be  varied,  smooth  and  pro- 
gressive. These  results  cannot  be  obtained  unless  the  rider 
is  thoroughly  supple  in  the  shoulders,  arms  and  wrists  and 
has  clever  fingers.  The  reins  must  be  changed  from  hand 
to  hand,  must  be  separated  and  reunited  not  only  without 
jerks  but  also  without  failing  to  maintain  the  proper  ten- 
sion. 

It  should  also  be  added  that  handling  the  reins  under- 
standingly  and  skilfully  is  an  indirect  method  of  making  a 
horse's  mouth  perfectly  straight.  Changing  hands  frequent- 
ly, will  prevent  the  prolonged  action  that  worries  the  horse 
and  causes  faulty  bends  of  the  neck.  Riders  who  hold  the 
reins  constantly  in  the  same  hand  and  in  the  same  manner, 
always  have  horses  with  stiff  necks  set  to  one  side. 


XXVI. 
What  is  Meant  by  the  Aids?     Tlio    dids    arc    the    dilTrn-nt 
means  employed  by  the  rider  lo  convey  his  d. -sires  or  iiiteu- 
tions  to  the  horse. 

Into  What  Classes  are  they  Divided?  The  aids  may  he  di- 
vided mto  natural  and  artificial.  The  natural  aids  arc  tlie 
hands  and  legs;  the  artificial  aids  are:  tlie  spur,  the  whip, 
the  voice,  the  pat,  the  longe,  the  longeing  whip  and  the 
padded  posts.* 

The  hands  are  called  the  upper  aids  and  the  legH,  the 
lotver  aids.  Some  horsemen  make  use  of  the  terms  priuri- 
pal  and  supplementary  to  designate  the  natural  and  artifi- 
cial aids  respectively. 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  execution  of  a  movement 
the  aids  are  classed  as  decisive  and  controlliiH/. 

The  former  are  indispensable  to  the  execution  of  the 
movement  and  have  a  dominating  action;  the  latter  are 
merely  useful,  and  participate  only  in  setting  the  horse  to 
advantage  and  in  making  the  movement  regular. 

A  final  division  into  lateral  and  diagonal  aids  results 
from  the  manner  in  which  the  aids  are  comhin<'d.  In  the 
first  case,  the  rider  uses  simultaneously  the  rein  and  the  leg 
on  the  same  side;  in  the  second  case,  he  uses  the  rein  on 
(me  side  and  the  leg  on  the  opposite  side. 

Function  of  the  Hands.  It  is  the  business  of  the  hands, 
through  the  medium  of  the  reins,  to  communicate  to  the 
horse  his  rider's  will,  to  regulate  tlie  horse's  gaits,  tn  li:ilt 
him  and  to  back  him. 

Their  principal  function  is  the  control  of  the  ionhand. 
the  impulse  having  been  given  previously  by  tin*  legs. 

*  Les  Piliers  are  two  padded  post«  to  which  the  hor^e  in 
fastened  by  a  harness  for  instruction  in  the  high  seliool 
"piaffer"  and  in  the  different  plunges  and  kickh  of  ihe 
''sauteur". 

(s:;) 


84  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

Considered  separately,  each  rein  can  produce   four  im- 
portant and  distinct  effects: 

1.  Front  to  rear  effect.  The  rider  pulls  on  the  two  reins 
alike,  without  pressing  them  on  the  neck  and  without  open- 
ing the  wrists.  If  the  horse  is  moving,  he  will  decrease  the 
gait  or  halt;  if  the  horse,  is  halted,  he  wall  move  backward. 

2.  Opening  effect.  The  rider  opens  the  right  rein  by 
carrying  the  wrist  to  the  front  and  right.  The  horse's  head 
will  be  drawn  to  the  right  and  he  will  move  in  that  direction. 
This  is  the  direct  rein. 

3.  Bearing  or  pushing  effect.  By  pressing  the  left  rein 
against  the  neck,  the  mass  (forehand)  is  pushed  to  the  right 
and  the  horse  faces  in  that  direction — this  is  the  indirect 
rein,  sometimes  called  the  supporting  rein.* 

4.  Opposing  effect.  The  rider  opens  the  right  rein  lightly 
and  then  pulls  either  in  the  direction  of  the  right  haunch  or 
in  the  direction  of  the  left  haunch.  He  is  then  said  to  set 
the  shoulders  in  opposition  to  the  haunches.  The  rein  of 
opposition  comes  to  the  aid  of  the  leg  on  the  same  side 
when  the  latter's  action  is  insufficient  or  incomplete. 

*  In  the  U.  S.  Cavalry  drill  regulations  a  horse  is  described 
as  "rein  wise  when  he  obeys  the  lightest  pressure  of  the 
rein  on  either  side  of  the  neck,  the  bit  not  being  disturbed 
from  its  normal  position."  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  horse 
has  learned  to  obey  this  pressure  (3rd  effect)  through  its 
association  with  the  opening  of  the  leading  rein  as  pre- 
scribed in  paragraph  315  D.  R.  (2d  effect.)  When  the 
rider  uses  the  direct  or  leading  rein,  there  must  be  suffi- 
cient tension  on  the  other  rein  to  prevent  the  bit  from  "be- 
ing disturbed  from  its  normal  position"  and  the  other  rein 
(la  rene  opposee)  is  also  pressed  against  the  neck  to  sup- 
port  the  action  of  the  direct  rein.  In  general^  there  must 
be  combined  action  of  the  reins  just  as  there  must  be  com- 
bined action  of  the  legs  (See  "Unison  of  the  legs"  in  the 
next  question),  and  this  fact  should  be  kept  in  view  in  the 
discussion  of  the  distinct  effects  produced  by  the  reins. 
The  text  reads:  "Considered  separately,  each  rein,  etc." 
which  might  be  erroneously  construed  as:  "Each  rein, 
acting  alone,  etc."     {The  Hoard) 


XXVII. 
Function  of  the  Legs.  The  Ic^rs  act  on  the  liind  (luarl.TH. 
Their  business  is  to  connnunicatc  the  rider'n  will  to  thr 
horse  in  order  to  move  him  straiglil  to  the  I'mnt.  to  njake 
him  extend  or  increase  liis  gaits  and  to  start  him  in  move- 
ments of  all  kinds.  It  is  also  their  special  business  to  con- 
trol the  haunches;  to  restrict  them  to  the  direction  pursued 
by  the  shoulders  or  to  swing  them  in  reference  to  the  sh(»ul- 
ders.  Finally  they  are  used  to  collect  the  horse  by  bringing 
his  hind  legs  closer  to  the  center  of  gravity. 

To  recapitulate,  the  legs  have  three  effects: 

1.  To  produce  a  forward  movement. 

2.  To  swing  the  haunches  in  reference  to  the  shnuhhrs. 

3.  To  bring  the  hind  legs  under. 

The  simultaneous  action  of  both  legs  produces  a  iloublc 
pressure  to  which  the  horse  should  respond  by  moving  to 
the  front. 

The  action  of  a  single  leg,  while  it  incites  motion,  forces 
the  weight  of  the  hind  quarters  toward  the  opposite  sitle. 
Thus,  for  instance,  if  the  rider  closes  his  left  leg,  he  pro- 
duces two  effects:  a  general  forward  movement  of  the  mass 
and  a  right  lateral  movement  of  the  haunches. 

Unison  of  the  Legs.  Whenever  one  leg  acts  to  swing  tlu- 
haunches,  the  opposite  leg  must  receive  the  mass  in  order 
to  limit  and  rectify  the  movement.  The  legs,  therefore, 
should  always  be  close  enough  to  the  horse  to  act  without 
sudden  jolts  and  to  lend  mutual  assistjince. 

A  horse  is  in  the  legs,  when  he  obeys  at  tlie  slightest 
indication  and  when  the  gentle  closing  of  the  calves  is  sulli- 
cient  to  make  him  move  out  boldly  to  the  front.* 

♦  In  the  U.  S.  Cavalry  Drill  Regulations  a  horwe  is  described 
as  ''Irq  wise  when  he  obeys  the  lightest  correct  eombined 
action  of  the  rider's  legs."  Althou-h  this  dettnitioi.  is  al- 
most identical  with  the  first  (clause  of  the  detinition  of  "ni 
the  legs"  as  given  in  this  text,  ilie  second  clause  estab- 
lishes the  difference  in  meaning  To  ,ni<lr,.st(n,il  a  signal 
is  one  thing,  to  be  rradji  fu  nmrr  at  the  signal,  is  an..»h.-r 

(So) 


86  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION. 

Perfect  obedience  to  the  legs  is  to  be  considered  as  the 
characteristic  sign  of  successful  training. 

In  the  use  of  the  horse  everything  is  based  upon  the 
movement  to  the  front;  the  upper  aids  merely  utilize  and 
direct  the  impulse  produced  by  the  lower  aids;  and,  if  this 
impulse  is  wanting  or  is  incomplete,  the  horse  escapes  more 
or  less  from  the  rider's  control.  We  have  said  several  times 
that  the  lesson  of  the  legs  must  take  precedence  over  all 
others  and  that  it  is  necessary  to  return  to  this  lesson  every 
few  minutes  during  the  whole  period  of  the  instruction  of 
the  young  horse. 

A  horse  is  behind  the  legs,  when  he  remains  indifferent 
to  their  action  either  through  sluggishness  or  unwillingness. 

A  horse  behind  the  legs,  is,  as  a  natural  result,  behind 
the  bit.  He  is  completely  out  of  his  rider's  control;  this  is 
the  beginning  of  obstinacy. 

Length  of  Stirrups.  Our  regulations  (French)  say:  "The 
stirrups  are  suitably  adjusted  if  the  tread  of  the  stirrup  is 
level  with  the  top  of  the  boot  heel,  when  the  trooper  is  sit- 
ting properly  on  his  horse,  with  the  knees  closed  and  the 
legs  hanging  naturally." 

In  his  treatise  on  equitation.  Count  d'Aure  admits  the 
same  principle  but  states  it  less  precisely.  According  to 
him,  "the  tread  of  the  stirrup,  before  the  foot  is  inserted, 
should  be  at  the  height  of  the  rider's  heel." 

In  the  Austrian  cavalry  the  stirrups  are  worn  somewhat 
shorter.  Their  regulations  say:  "The  trooper  adjusts  the 
stirrups  so  that  the  tread  shall  be  about  one  inch  above  the 
seam  at  the  heels.  If,  from  this  adjustment,  the  trooper 
stands  in  his  stirrups,  there  will  be  a  space  of  four  fingers 
between  his  crotch  and  the  saddle." 

The  German  regulations  give  the  same  instructions  as 
the  Austrian.  (See  also  par.  846,  U.  S.  Cavalry  Drill  Regu- 
lations). 

When  the  stirrups  are  too  long,  the  rider  is  said  to  be 
on  his  crotch  (fork  seat);  he  loses  all  stability;  his  legs  flap 


AND    HOKSK    THAININ*;  S? 

about  tlie  sides  of  the  horse   and   act    will.    iHiil..  r   ^trm^th 
nor  accuracy. 

When  the  stirrups  are  too  short,  th«y  support  nion- 
than  the  weight  of  the  legs;  they  raise  the  knees  and  thi^lis 
and  force  the  seat  back.  The  trooper  is  then  said  to  be 
hung  up,  and,  although  he  has  a  stronger  su]iport  in  the 
stirrups,  he  is  less  secure  because  he  is  not  so  far  down  in 
the  saddle.  Moreover,  the  legs  necessarily  V)econie  rigid: 
they  lose  all  freedom  of  movement  and  in  (•onsequ<'nce  all 
nicety   (of  action  as  aids). 

The  stirrups  then,  should  be  neither  too  long  nor  to<> 
short.  But  of  the  two  faults  the  latter  is  the  more  serious; 
a  trooper  can  shorten  his  stirrups  without  anxiety,  whereas 
he  feels  a  certain  reluctance  about  lengthening  them.  It  is 
to  be  noticed  that  the  man  who  loses  his  suppleness  or  his 
confidence  always  has  a  tendency  to  diminish  the  length  of 
his  stirrup  straps. 

Position  of  the  Foot  in  the  Stirrup.  At  least  one  third  of 
the  foot  should  be  inserted  into  the  stirrup;  the  heel  should 
be  slightly  lower  than  the  toe;  the  part  of  the  sole  of  the 
foot  included  between  the  joint  of  the  great  toe  and  the 
little  toe  (ball  of  the  foot)  should  rest  upon  the  tread. 

The  support  should  be  secured  mainly  on  the  inside 
portion  of  the  foot;  this  method  results  in  closing  the  knee 
and  holding  the  lower  leg  in  proper  position. 


XXVIII. 
Pari  Played  by  the  Neck  in  Equitation.  When  a  horse  is 
left  to  himself  and  is  free  to  apply  his  own  natural  methods, 
he  makes  uses  of  his  head  and  neck  as  a  balancer  to  keep 
his  forces  in  equilibrium  or  to  modify  their  action.  If 
he  wishes  to  go  forward,  he  pushes  out  his  head  and  ex- 
tends his  neck  in  order  to  shift  the  center  of  gravity  in  the 
direction  of  the  desired  movement.  If,  on  the  contrary,  he 
wishes  to  go  back,  he  pulls  in  his  head  and  shortens  his 
neck  thus  starting  the  mass  in  the  movement  to  the  rear. 
In  lateral  movements,  oblique  or  circular,  it  is  the  same; 
the  shifting  of  the  head  or  neck  to  the  right  or  left  prepares, 
favors  and  controls  the  animal's  action. 

At  a  walk,  the  head  and  neck  are  in  constant  motion 
in  order  to  take  weight  off  the  legs  that  are  moving  to  the 
front  and  place  weight  on  those  that  rest  on  the  ground. 

At  a  gallop,  the  balancer  is  alternately  raised  and  low- 
ered according  as  the  horse  is  supported  on  the  hind  quar- 
ters or  on  the  forehand  and  is  extended  or  brought  in 
according  as  the  gait  is  rapid  or  slow. 

This  shifting  of  the  head  and  neck  that  we  observe  in 
the  horse  at  liberty  should  be  noted  when  the  horse  is  rid- 
den. The  rider  should  be  completely  master  of  the  neck 
and,  when  he  gives  his  horse  the  signal  for  a  movement, 
should  be  able  at  the  same  time  to  set  the  neck  in  the  posi- 
tion most  favorable  to  the  execution  of  the  movement.  The 
neck  is  therefore  a  steering  gear  as  well  as  a  balancer,  and 
suppling  exercises  that  involve  this  region  necessarily  take 
up  a  large  portion  of  the  time  devoted  to  training.  But,  it 
is  to  be  noted  that  these  supplings  must  be  confined  to  the 
upper  part  of  the  neck.  The  neck  must  alwaj'S  offer  an 
elastic  resistance,  suitable  to  its  functions.  If  it  were  too 
Hexible  and  too  easily  moved,  it  could  neither  react  on  the 
hind  quarters  nor  control  the  movements  of  the  forehand. 

(SS) 


NOTES    OX    i:(,)riTATl()N  H<| 

The  Kind  of  Neck  to  Select.  The  importance  of  tlir  part 
played  by  tlie  neck,  shows  the  importance  that  hIiouM  he 
attached  to  its  good  conformation.  A  ri(h'r  should  always 
select  a  long  and  powerful  neck  with  the  liead  well  set  <m. 
And  it  should  be  remembered  that  we  said  that  in  traininji 
it  is  more  difficult  to  raise  than  to  lower  the  head;  a  hinh 
neck  branching  firmly  from  a  sloping  shoulder,  will  dimininh 
the  difficulties  of  training  and  will  permit  the  rider  to  pro- 
duce more  easily  a  brilliant,  well  set  up  horse. 

Different  Positions  of  the  Neck.  "The  neck  sliould  always 
preserve  its  muscled  pose  and  even  have  a  certain  amount 
of  rigidity.  Its  position  should  be  the  same  as  that  assumed 
naturally,  when  the  horse  at  liberty  is  in  high  spirits  and 
standing  still. 

If,  contrary  to  this  principle,  the  experiment  is  made 
of  raising  the  head  and  neck  too  high,  the  play  of  the 
shoulders  may  be  freer,  but,  at  the  same  time,  the  loins  an«l 
all  parts  of  the  hind  quarters  will  be  weighted  down,  and 
the  haunches  and  hocks  will  be  hampered  in  their  action. 
As  a  result,  movememts  of  the  hind  quarters  will  he  con- 
strained, unequal  and  jerky  and  the  gait  will  lose  both 
speed  and  regularity. 

If  the  neck  is  too  low,  the  hind  quarters  will  he  more 
at  liberty  but  will  not  (for  that  reason)  fulfill  their  functions 
any  better;  for,  since  they  cannot  be  brought  up  toward  the 
center  of  gravity  except  by  a  special,  momentary  and  forci- 
ble application  of  the  lower  aids,  they  will  promptly  g^^ 
back  again  and  will  be  relieved  of  the  weight  which  is  their 
proper  share  in  an  equal  distributi(m  of  forces;  weight,  we 
repeat,  that  tends  to  set  the  hind  quarters;  weight  that, 
when  the  neck  is  held  at  a  suitable  height,  naturally  and 
properly  falls  back  from  the  shoulders  upon  the  haunches. 
If  the  hind  quarters  are  too  free  and  do  not  carry  their 
proper  share  of  weight  their  action  is  not  favorable  to 
smooth  gaits. 

Therefore,  the  position  of  the  neck  should  be  neither 
too  high  nor  too  low.  The  neck  must  be  able  to   shorten  or 


90  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

lengthen  itself  according  as  the  face  approaches  or  departs 
from  the  vertical. 

The  head,  when  drawn  back,  should  bend  the  neck 
without  breaking*  it;  when  extended  forward,  it  should 
stretch  the  neck  without  raising  it.  When  the  horse  is 
posed  in  this  manner,  the  reins  will  retain  full  power  and 
both  the  front  and  hind  legs  will  cooperate  in  any  move- 
ments, either  lengthened  or  shortened,  that  the  rider  may 
exact."     fCoiint  D^Aure). 

Different  Positions  of  the  Head.  "In  order  that  he  may  feel 
with  uniformity  the  touch  of  his  rider's  hand  and  in  order 
not  to  impede  his  breathing,  the  horse's  face  should  be  set  a 
little  forward  of  the  vertical.  This  position  should  be  taken 
for  ordinary  gaits  and  for  simple  and  regular  movements. 

The  more  we  wish  to  shorten  the  gait,  the  more  the 
face  should  approach  the  vertical  plane;  on  the  other  hand, 
the  more  we  wish  to  increase  the  speed,  the  more  the  face 
should  depart  from  this  plane. 

In  these  last  two  cases  the  position  of  the  head  may  al- 
so be  considered  as  normal  since  the  gaits  depend  thereon. 

The  head  may  assume  a  faulty  position;  that  is  to  say, 
(me  too  near  or  too  far  from  the  vertical;  this  may  be  due 
to  defective  conformation  of  the  forehand,  faulty  fitting  of 
the  bit,  undue  sensitiveness  of  the  chin  groove  or  bars,  or 
finally,  and  this  is  most  frequently  the  case  when  horses 
throw  the  nose  into  the  air,  to  a  defect  in  the  conformation 
of  some  part  of  the  hind  quarters. 

These  faulty  positions  can  be  combatted  by  the  rider 
not  only  by  a  judicious  use  of  the  aids,  but  by  a  careful 
selection  of  the  bit,  an  attentive  fitting  in  the  mouth  and  a 
studied  adjustment  of  the  curb  chain",   f  Count  B^AureJ. 

Influence  of  Conformation.  All  horses  cannot  be  ridden  in 
tlie  same  manner.     General  principles  of  conduct  and  train- 

*  The  bend  should  be  near  the  poll;  the  rest  of  the  neck 
remains  practically  the  same  in  all  positions,  or  as  it  is 
called,  "unbroken." 


AND    HOKSK     I'lv'AIMN^J  111 

ing  remain  the  sanu',  but   supijlin^'s    v:iry   itcc.nliii'   »-■    •'■< 
defects  of  conformation  tliat  must  lie  ovcrconic 

A  horse  of  good  conformation  is  easy  to  train:  all  that 
is  necessary  is  to  teacli  liim  tlic  language  of  iUv  ai«ls  and 
when  he  understands,  everything  becomes  simplr  to  him. 
When,  on  the  contrary,  ])roper  Ijalancc  is  wanting,  it  is  nec- 
essary not  only  to  instruct  liim,  but  also,  by  means  of  pro- 
tracted and  well  understood  exercises  to  establish  an  artifi- 
cial equilibrium  that  will  (U)rrect  natural  defects. 

A  horse  with  croup  too  high  and  wIkjsc  weight  is«)n  hi.- 
shoulders  will  not  be  trained  along  the  same  lines  as  oni- 
with  high  forehand  or  weak  hind  quarters.  In  one  case  we 
must  raise  the  head  and  force  the  weight  ))ack:  in  the  other 
we  must  lower  the  head  and  load  the  forehand.  A  good 
horseman  must  therefore  study  his  horse's  conformation  and 
adapt  his  methods  of  training  to  the  kind  (»f  resistance  he 
encounters.  This,  in  order  to  develop  in  the  animal,  in  ac- 
tion, a  l)alance  which  is  rarely  to  l)e  found  in  y<»ung   hoi.^t's. 


XXIX. 

Training  for  a  Military  Race  It  is  impossible  to  lay  down 
fixed  rules  for  training  a  service  mount  to  run  a  military 
steeple  chase.  The  care  of  the  animal  as  well  as  his  work 
will  vary  with  his  breeding,  but  an  officer  or  a  non-commis- 
sioned officer  training  his  horse  must  pay  constant  attention, 
in  all  cases,  to: 

1.  The  amount  of  work; 

2.  The  condition  of  the  legs; 

3.  The  appetite. 

1st,  Amount  of  Work.  Training  a  service  mount  for  a 
military  steeple  chase  does  not  involve  such  complete  con- 
ditioning as  is  required  in  training  a  thoroughbred  for  a  flat 
race.  Moderate  work  should  be  sufficient  to  put  him  in 
condition,  keeping  in  view  the  main  object  which  is  to 
bring  him  up  to  his  maximum  strength  and  energy  on  the 
day  of  the  race.  First,  it  must  never  be  forgotten  that  the 
less  the  horse  has  of  pure  blood,  the  less  he  should  be  work- 
ed into  condition  for  a  speed  test. 

About  two  months  are  required  to  prepare  a  horse,  fol- 
lowing a  well  chosen  program  and  working  only  rarely  at 
full  speed.  It  is  better,' if  possible,  to  have  the  horse  a  lit- 
tle above  condition  to  start  with,  that  is,  fat  rather  than 
poor,  because  it  is  easier  to  take  off  fat  than  to  gain  weight 
by  building  muscle. 

Each  day's  work  should  be  of  about  two  hours  duration. 
Exercise  should  be  given  in  the  morning  as  far  as  possible, 
at  any  rate  in  summer,  so  as  to  avoid  the  heat  and  the  flies. 
Give  the  horse  one,  or  at  most,  two  quarts  of  oats  about  one 
lu)ur  before  work. 

1st  and  2nd  Week.  Exercise  the  horse  at  a  walk;  work 
him  once  or  twice  every  day  at  a  trot  for  a  mile  or  two,  and 
at  a  gallop  for  half  a  mil(\  Twice  a  week  give  him  a  mil(^ 
at  a  very  moderate  gallo]). 


NOTKS    ON    Kt^riTATlON  *>;i 

If  the  horse  is  too  fat,  give  him  a  purge  during  tlic  lirht 
days  of  training  to  decrease  thr  siz<"  of  the  intcstiiwH.  and  at 
the  end  of  the  first  week  give  liini  a  sweat  t(.  ehminate  part 
of  the  fat  from  the  tissues.      (See  Question  VIII). 

Thin  horses  or  small  eaters  do  not  need  either  purges  or 
sw^eats. 

3rd  and  4th  Weeks.  If  the  legs  keep  in  good  sliai^e  and 
the  appetite  continues  good,  increase  the  speed  and  dura- 
tion of  the  gallops,  diminishing  proportionately  the  length 
of  time  at  the  trot.  Twice  a  week  give  a  good  gallop,  hut 
not  at  full  speed.  A  second  sweat  should  he  given  at  the 
end  of  this  period  if  the  horse  is  still  too  fat. 

5th  and  6th  Weeks.  Same  work,  increasing  the  sp»'fd 
and  taking  the  horse  once  or  twice  over  a  distance  nearly 
equal  to  that  of  the  race. 

7th  and  8th  Weeks.  Give  several  gallo])s  from  one- 
half  to  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  increasing  the  gait  during 
the  eighth  week  at  the  end  of  the  stretch,  (iive  also  two  or 
three  gallops  about  two  miles  long,  but  never  force  the  pace. 

Two  days  before  the  race,  gallop  from  a  half  mile  to 
a  mile,  increasing  the  pace  as  nmch  as  possible  the  last 
quarter  of  a  mile,  but  of  course  without  overtaxing  the 
horse.  The  day  before  the  race  give  him  only  a  half  mile 
gallop  at  a  moderate  gait.  The  morning  of  the  raee,  exer- 
cise for  an  hour  at  a  walk. 

Training  for  obstacles  is  only  secondary,  provided  the 
horse  already  knows  how  to  jump.  It  is  sutlicienl  to  take 
him  over  a  few  obstacles  at  an  ordinary  gait,  fmni  time  to 
time,  after  the  second  or  third  week. 

During  training  it  is  essential  that  the  liorse  he  calm 
and  that  he  lower  his  head  and  stretcli  the  r(»ins  without 
boring  on  the  hand. 

It  should  also  be  clearly  underst<.od  that  the  pn.gram 
of  work  is  subordinate  to  the  horse's  appetite  and  to  the 
condition  of  his  legs;  the  gallop  must  be  replaced  hy  the 
trot  or  walk,  entirely  or  partly,  every  time  the  tendons  be- 
come heated,  or  the  hors*-  refuses  his  oats. 


94  NOTES   ON    EQUITATION. 

2nd,  Condition  of  the  Legs.  The  horse's  legs  should  be 
examined  every  day  and  handled  with  the  greatest  care.  As 
soon  as  one  tendon  becomes  more  heated  than  the  other, 
decrease  or  stop  the  work  and  relieve .  the  over-worked  part 
with  douches,  with  bandages  soaked  in  the  "white  lotion"* 
or  in  water  and  arnica,  until  the  heat  has  disappeared. 
Then  change  the  work  and  replace  the  rapid  gaits  by  the 
walk,  increasing  the  duration  of  exercise.  If  the  tendons 
heat  again,  it  is  better  to  stop  training  entirely  and  thus 
avoid  a  strain  that  would   lay  the  horse  up  for  a  long  time. 

3rd,  Feed  during  Training.  As  a  general  rule  a  horse  never 
eats  too  much  during  training.  But  if  he  eats  heartily  and 
if  his  legs  will  stand  it,  increasing  the  work  is  sufficient  to 
prevent  him  from  taking  on  too  much  flesh,  and  training  in 
such  a  case  will  go  on  under  the  best  possible  condition. 
This,  however,  is  rarely  the  case;  increasing  the  work  gen- 
erally decreases  the  appetite,  and  it  is  difficult  to  make  a 
horse  eat  more  than  14  quarts  of  oats  a  day.  As  soon  as  a 
horse  stops  eating  with  relish,  the  gallop  should  be  decreas- 
ed or  stopped,  and  resumed  only  when  the  horse  cleans 
up  his  oats. 

During  training,  hay  is  an  entirely  secondary  nourish- 
ment; four  or  five  pounds  a  day  are  generally  given.  Bed- 
ding should  always  be  abundant  and  extra  good,  so  that, 
if  his  appetite  suggests,  the  horse  can  eat  some  of  it. 

The  ration  should  be  gradually  increased  with  the  work, 
and  given  in  three  or  four  feeds.  Oats  that  are  not  eaten  at 
the  end  of  an  hour  and  a  half  or  two  hours  should  be  taken 
away  so  as  not  to  make  the  horse  lose  his  appetite.  With 
light  eaters,  mix  carrots,  bread,  green  forage,  etc.,  with  the 
oats,  but  in  small  quantities.  A  piece  of  salt  in  the  feed 
box  is  often  useful  in  creating  an  appetite. 

When  a  horse,  as  is  often  the  case,  needs  cooling  (the 
counter-acting  of  the  heating  caused  by  grain)  he  should  be 
given  two  handfulls  of  sulphate  of  soda  in  a  mash  three  or 

*  Acetate  of  lead,  1  oz, ;  Sulphate  of  zinc,  1  oz.;  Water,  1  qt. 


AND    HOHSi:     ri{AlNlN(;  95 

four  days  in  siicceysic^n.  Tlw  masli  is  plaml  in  tli.  f.  .  ,1 
box  after  the  evening  feed  and  left  tlicrr  all  ni^lit. 

If  a  horse  is  a  large  eater  and  fills  his  l»«*lly  willi  tin- 
bedding,  put  on  a  muzzle  after  he  has  finished  his  feed. 

A  horse  must  be  left  absolutely  quirt  wln-n  eating';  tin- 
evening  feed  should  be  the  largest. 


XXX. 

Conditioning  a  Hunter.  "I  shall  take  the  case  of  a  horse 
that  you  have  bought  with  the  idea  of  using  him  for  hunt- 
ing. He  is  trained,  has  been  worked  and  comes  from  a 
dealer  or  any  other  similar  source.  His  conformation  ap- 
pears good  to  you  from  the  standpoint  of  service  and  his 
gaits  are  natural.  He  is  in  good  condition,  fat.  It  is  spring 
or  summer,  June,  let  us  suppose.  You  wish  to  condition 
your  horse  for  the  hunting  season.     What  will  you  do? 

"First,  run  your  hand  all  over  your  horse,  but  mainly 
over  the  body,  and  pay  special  attention  to  the  croup  and 
neck.  If  you  find  the  flesh  soft  and  yielding  under  the  fin- 
gers, the  legs  rather  round  and  pasty,  have  your  horse  sad- 
dled, mount  him  and  ride  him  into  a  ploughed  field  or  upon 
a  road  deep  with  sand.  Put  your  horse  into  a  slow  gal- 
lop, keeping  him  well  in  hand;  make  him  work  his  hind 
quarters  and  bend  his  neck  a  little.  The  horse  immediately 
begins  to  blow  and  in  a  moment  is  dripping  wet.  The  sweat 
is  white,  and  resembles  soap  suds.  Do  not  go  any  further; 
your  horse  is  not  in  condition,  and  you  must  require  noth- 
ing further  of  him  for  the  present.  Take  him  quietly  back 
to  the  stable  and  for  two  days  put  him  on  bran  mash  and 
diet,  and  on  the  third  day  give  him  a  purge.  Do  not  be 
afraid  that  I  am  going  to  overdo  this  last.  Perhaps,  if  your 
horse  is  too  fat,  too  heavy,  I  will  allow  you  one  more  at  the 
end  of  August,  but  that  is  all.  For  in  sane  hygiene,  you 
should  avoid  the  pit  into  which  many  hunting  horses  in 
England  fall,  the  destruction  of  the  stomach  and  intestines 
by  an  excess  of  purges  and  of  drugs  intended  to  give  an 
appetite.  Moreover,  in  France  our  hunters  must  be  in  much 
finer  condition  than  in  England.  They  are  not  required  to 
do  the  same  kind  of  work.  A  hunter  in  England  must  with- 
stand two  hours  of  fast  gait  and  constant  effort.  The  hunter 
in  France  is  generally  required   to   withstand  eight   or  ten 

(96) 


NOTKS    ON    E(^riTATl()N  !C 

hours  of  continuous  work  and  effort  witlioul  eating,  t.m  ai  a 
much  slower  gait.  Therefore,  the  question  of  tlu'  condition 
of  a  hunting  horse  in  Enghmd  and  in  PVanee  is  very  differ- 
ent. 

"All  summer,  you  should  feed  your  horsr  (;iaul)cr'> 
salts,  one  handful  in  a  mash  at  least  once  every  ten  ortwclv. 
days.  He  should  have  a  suhstantial  hut  gradually  increan- 
ing  feed  of  ten  to  sixteen  pounds  of  hay,  and  tm  to  twelve 
quarts  of  oats  every  day  to  hegin  w^ith,  depending  up<.n  the 
temperament  of  the  horse.  Give  him  regular  work  every 
day  or  work  him  tw^o  days  and  let  him  rest  the  third  day. 
His  work  must  last  at  least  two  hours;  at  first,  one  hour  at 
a  walk  on  soft  or  heavy  ground,  preferahly  over  ploughed 
ground,  then  a  moderate  but  continuous  trot  over  ground 
that  is  not  too  hard,  for  at  least  three  miles;  then  at  least  a 
half  hour  at  a  walk.  Continue  this  work  for  six  weeks,  that 
is  till  about  the  15th  of  July.  Then  increase  the  length  of 
time  at  the  trot  and  begin  to  trot  in  place  of  walking  in  tin- 
work  in  the  open  field,  but  never  push  the  horse  into  the 
rapid  gaits.  Continue  this  until  about  the  loth  of  August. 
The  muscles  of  your  horse  will  already  begin  to  grow  harder 
and  firmer;  they  will  be  stronger  and  his  endurance  and 
wind  will  be  improved.  Begin  to  increase  the  speed  at 
which  he  works  and  then,  if  he  is  still  too  fat,  you  may  give 
him  another  purge.  A  few  days  later  you  may  increase  his 
oats  a  little,  up  to  fourteen  or  sixteen  quarts,  depending  up- 
on the  temperament  of  the  horse.  The  work  is  then  increa.^- 
ed  by  a  gallop  over  ploughed  ground,  always  following  a 
progressive  course,  beginning  with  a  short  and  rapid  gallop. 
and  ending,  on  the  15th  of  September,  with  a  goo<l  gallnp 
at  hunting  speed  for  five  or  six  miles.  If  the  horse  is  still 
too  fat,  if  the  muscles  of  the  neck,  loins  and  thighs  d.»  not 
stand  out  well,  if  he  perspires  too  freely,  if  the  sweat  is  a 
white  lather  and  not  a  colorless  fluid,  give  him  two  or  three 
gallops  under  blankets,  covering  well  the  parts  you  wish  tn 
lighten.  For  instance,  if  the  neck  is  too  heavy,  too  Habhy. 
put  on  one  or  two  hoods.     If,  on  the  contrary,    he   has   too 


98  NOTES   ON   EQUITATION 

large  a  bellj^  put  on  two  or  three  blankets.  Naturally  you 
should  always  finish  at  a  walk  and  see  that  there  is  a  very 
good  grooming  when  you  come  in.  Put  on  good  flannel 
bandages  after  careful  hand  rubbing  of  the  legs. 

"By  following  this  course  of  preparation,  your  horse 
should  begin  to  be  in  condition  toward  the  end  of  Septem- 
ber. He  is  far  from  being  entirely  ready,  but  he  may  begin 
to  hunt  without  much  fear  of  injury.  By  this  time  he  has 
started  to  shed  and  is  beginning  to  suffer  from  the  action 
going  on  inside  of  him,  which  takes  away  part  of  his 
strength  and  exhausts  him.  Redouble  your  care  by  cover- 
ing him  carefully  so  that  the  heat  may  hasten  the  shedding, 
and  above  all  give  him  abundant  and  substantial  feed. 
Accordingly,  from  the  15th  of  September  to  the  15th  of 
October,  I  recommend  a  feed  of  beans  everj^  day  (two  quarts 
soaked  in  three  different  waters)  and  put  iron,  nails,  horse 
shoes,  etc.,  in  his  drinking  water.  All  this  gives  him 
strength  to  support  the  work  going  on  inside  of  him,  for  it  is 
very  important  that  the  shedding  and  sweating  in  October 
should  not  put  him  out  of  condition.  If  it  does,  you  will 
not  be  able  to  get  him  back  in  condition  again  the  rest  of 
the  winter,  and  in  January  he  will  be  completely  run  down. 
Consequently  it  is  from  the  20th  of  September  to  about  the 
15th  of  November  that  you  should  feed  a  hunter  the  most. 

"Now  your  horse  is  almost  in  condition  and  may  hunt. 
In  the  interval  between  hunts,  exercise  your  horse  or  have 
him  exercised  a  little  every  other  day,  taking  care  to  take 
him  out  for  a  short  time  the  day  after  each  hunt  to  observe 
his  condition  and  the  freedom  of  his  movements.  If  for  any 
reason  you  do  not  hunt  for  a  time,  you  should  put  your 
horse  through  the  same  work  that  you  did  in  the  month  of 
August,  giving  him  short  gallops  and  work  at  a  walk  over 
ploughed  ground. 

"In  this  manner  you  keep  him  fit  all  winter,  giving  him 
good  feed  and  varying  it  according  to  his  condition  and  ap- 
petite. If  he  always  eats  well,  continue  the  oats  without 
overdoing  the  mashes;  the  latter  should  be  given  only  in  the 


AND    HOHSK    TRAINING  99 

evening  on  coming  in  from  the  hunt,  and  on  tlu-  n.-xt  morn- 
ing feed  a  cold  mash  of  barley  meal.  If  your  horse  hIiowh 
a  failing  appetite  or  runs  down  in  condition,  ^iv*-  him  cook- 
ed grain  or  cooked  vegetahles. 

"Thus  you  reach  tin'  month  of  April  and  tin-  .-nil  of  the 
hunting  season.  As  soon  as  hunting  stojjs,  let  your  liorwe 
rest.  Exercise  him  only  at  a  walk  and  for  his  health.  Take 
particular  care  of  the  legs  and  lower  his  condition  hy  cool- 
ing mashes,  for  a  horse  cannot  he  kept  with  impunity  on 
such  substantial  and  heating  feed  the  year  around,  ^'ou 
might  then  turn  him  out  in  a  paddock  without  grass  or  with 
grass  that  you  have  had  cut  short.  Give  him  a  masli,  a 
full  feed  of  carrots,  and  only  six  quarts  of  oats.  Continue 
this  until  the  15th  of  May  at  least,  then  stop  the  carrots  and 
little  by  little  the  mashes.  Then  begin  to  increase  the  oats, 
in  order  to  take  up  the  same  work  as  the  preceding'  v.-ir 
and  wdth  the  same  gradual  progress. 

"During  this  period  of  rest,  the  horse  can  be  given  such 
treatment  as  the  condition  of  his  legs  may  require. 

"These  are  the  general  instructions  for  putting  a  hunter 
in  fit  condition  for  his  work."     {Count  Le  CoHltcHX.) 

Conditioning  for  Endurance  Races.  For  this  training,  refer 
to  what  has  just  been  said  concerning  hunters,  and  to  the 
29th  question,  on  training  for  military  races. 

The  work  varies  with  the  length  of  time  available,  witli 
the  age  and  condition  of  the  horse  and  the  nature  of  the 
race.     The  only  general  rules  to  be  repeated  here  are: 

Gradually  increase  the  horse's  ration  with  the  work. 

Exercise  a  great  deal  at  a  walk  in  order  to  develop  the 
muscles. 

Regulate  the  walk  and  trot  carefully,  and  have  the  horse 
perfectly  calm  at  these  two  gaits. 

Never  use  the  extended  trot. 

Accustom  the  horse  not  to  pull,  s(»  that  he  will  n..t 
waste  part  of  his  strength  fighting  the  hand. 

The  morning  of  the  race,  massage  the  tendons:  rub 
l>()th  the  tendons  and  joints  with  a  fatty  substancr.    su«  li  .is 


100  NOTES    ON    E(^UITATION 

vaseline;  if  the   race   is   in   the   morning,    feed    little   grain. 
about  one  or  two  quarts. 

During  the  race,  the  periods  at  a  trot  should  be  consid- 
erably shorter  than  during  training,  in  order  to  avoid  wind- 
ing the  horse.  Dismount  as  often  as  possible,  especially 
going  up  and  down  hill.  Do  not  be  afraid  to  water  in  mod- 
erate quantities  once  or  several  times  on  the  road;  there  is 
no  danger  if  you  do  not  take  too  fast  a  gait  just  after  water- 
ing. 


